China News Service, January 5 (Xinhua) According to a Reuters report on the 4th, at the beginning of the new year in 2023, abnormally high temperatures broke the winter temperature records in many European countries, causing some European ski resorts to close due to lack of snow caused by warm weather and low snowfall.

  According to reports, in the past few days, winter temperature records in hundreds of places in Europe have been broken, including Switzerland, Poland, Hungary, etc. Budapest, Hungary ushered in the warmest Christmas Eve, and the temperature on January 1 even climbed to 18.9 degrees Celsius .

  From December 30 to 31, 2022, France will experience its warmest night on record.

On New Year's Day, the temperature in southwestern France climbed to nearly 25 degrees Celsius.

Some European ski resorts have been left empty due to lack of snow due to warm weather and low snowfall.

  The temperature at Bilbao Airport in Spain was as high as 25.1 degrees Celsius.

People sit outside the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao or take a walk in the sun along the Nevión River.

  "It usually rains a lot here and it's very cold, but this January, it (now) feels like summer," said Eusebio Folgeira, an 81-year-old Bilbao resident.

  Scientists have yet to analyze how climate change affects the recent high temperatures in Europe, but this is in line with the long-term trend of rising temperatures due to global warming.

  "Winters in Europe are getting warmer due to global warming," said climate scientist Freja Vamborg of the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service.

  In addition, demand for natural gas heating fell in many European countries due to warmer weather, helping to lower energy prices.

On the morning of the 4th, the benchmark price of natural gas was 70.25 euros per megawatt-hour, the lowest price level since February 2022.

  The head of Italy's energy authority has predicted that the country's energy bills will fall this month as warmer temperatures help lower gas prices.

  However, research group Eurointelligence warned in a report that "this should not cause governments to relax their vigilance about Europe's energy crisis."

  "While this will provide governments with more fiscal breathing room in the first half of the year, addressing Europe's energy problems will require concerted action over several years," Eurointelligence wrote.

"No one should believe this is over."