The meteorological situation in January 2020 was characterized by higher than normal monthly mean surface pressure in the south and centre of the EFAS domain and lower than normal mean surface pressure in the east and north of the EFAS domain. Monthly precipitation totals were below the long-term mean in the majority of the EFAS domain. Positive precipitation anomalies are often associated with heavy precipitation events. Monthly mean air temperatures were above the long-term mean in the east and centre of the EFAS domain and below the long-term mean in the south of the EFAS domain and on Iceland.

Similarly, to the last days of December 2019, the eastern Mediterranean region was influenced by low-pressure systems causing heavy precipitation associated with flash floods also at the beginning of January 2020. The remaining EFAS domain was influenced by high-pressure systems and one low-pressure system, which moved from Iceland across northern Scandinavia towards the Arctic. Another low-pressure system developed over the Atlantic Ocean eastward of Newfoundland and moved via Iceland towards the north. The connected upper-level through developed a steep wave at its southern rim. From this wave, a small and weak upper-level low-pressure system was cut off over central Europe and moved towards the Mediterranean region. It intensified while spinning around in the southern Mediterranean region for some days and brought substantial amounts of precipitation to northern Africa. In the same days, one more low-pressure system moved from the Atlantic Ocean via Great Britain and Ireland, North and Baltic Sea to Russia and brought moderate precipitation amounts along its track. Yet another low-pressure system moved from the Atlantic Ocean between Iceland and Great Britain and Ireland towards the Norwegian Sea and caused strong winds in Great Britain and Ireland as well as in Iceland.

A secondary low-pressure system developed at the western ridge and moved on a similar, slightly southward shifted, track, and caused again strong winds in Great Britain and Ireland, whereas Eastern Europe was influenced by a high-pressure system. One more low-pressure system developed at the Atlantic Ocean and moved towards the Iberian Peninsula and the Azores high extended northward at its back and developed a new core at Great Britain and Ireland. The low-pressure system stayed for some time at the Strait of Gibraltar and later moved to the northwest towards the Atlantic Ocean. It brought a lot of precipitation at the Iberian Peninsula including heavy precipitation with associated floods in southeast Spain, southern France and the Baleares. In the next days, the Icelandic low extended towards the Baltic Sea. A low-pressure system was cut off over Eastern Europe and another low-pressure system from the Atlantic Ocean merged with the western part of the before mentioned Icelandic low and shifted its core southward, moving to the Norwegian Sea to be replaced by another low-pressure system from the Atlantic Ocean. By the end of the month, the northern parts of the EFAS domain were influenced by low-pressure systems with strong winds, the Azores high was extended towards the Iberian Peninsula, and the eastern Mediterranean region and Eastern Europe had weak pressure gradients.

In January 2020, the highest precipitation totals were observed at the Norwegian and Scottish west coast, the northwest and southeast coast of the Iberian Peninsula and the east coast of the Mediterranean and Black Sea (Figure 1). No or only very little precipitation fell in some parts of Italy, westward of the Black and northern Aegean Sea as well as parts of northern Africa. More than normal precipitation was observed in Scandinavia, Scotland, southeast of the Iberian Peninsula, the Baleares and the eastern Mediterranean region (Figure 2). Large areas in central, southern and eastern Europe, Iceland and the African parts of the EFAS domain experienced less than normal precipitation.

The monthly mean air temperature ranged from -22.1°C to 18.3°C with the highest values in the southern parts and lowest in the northern and mountainous parts of the EFAS domain (Figure 3). Air temperature anomalies ranged from -5.3°C to 9.5°C (Figure 4). Monthly mean air temperature values were above the long-term mean in the east and centre of the EFAS domain and only on Iceland and in southern parts of the EFAS domain below the long-term mean.