February 2021 was characterised by lower than normal mean sea surface pressure over the Atlantic Ocean and from Russia and Kazakhstan southward to the Persian Gulf. Higher than normal mean sea surface pressure occurred from Spitzbergen, Scandinavia, central Europe, and the central Mediterranean region to northern Africa. Monthly precipitation totals were above the long-term means at the Iberian Peninsula, Great Britain and Ireland, eastern Europe, northwest Africa and around the Arabian Peninsula. Below normal monthly precipitation totals were observed in Iceland, southern Scandinavia, the Baltic Sea region, the Alps, at the northern Balkans, and in eastern and southern Mediterranean regions. Monthly mean air temperatures were below the long-term means in the north and east, and above normal in the west and south of the EFAS domain.

In the beginning of February 2021, the Azores High was shifted southward compared to its normal position and disappeared in the next days. A large low-pressure system was located over northeast Europe and the corresponding upper-level trough extended to the central Mediterranean region. Within this trough, a secondary low-pressure zone at the surface extended from the Atlantic Ocean southward of Greenland to France.  As the large low-pressure system moved to the Kara Sea, two low-pressure systems developed in the low-pressure zone over the Atlantic Ocean. The upper-level trough weakened, but a flat upper-level low-pressure system was cut-off over the eastern Mediterranean region. Severe weather was reported from many locations in this region at the beginning of February. The low-pressure systems from the Atlantic Ocean moved to Great Britain and Ireland and then continued to central Europe and was associated with large amounts of rain and snowfall. A new low-pressure system developed over the Baltic Sea and moved eastward while intensifying. An upper-level trough extended southward while moving eastward over the Atlantic Ocean, leading to a formation of a low-pressure system at the Iberian Peninsula. The low-pressure system moved eastward to the central Mediterranean region and brought high amounts of rain along its track. Another low-pressure system moved from the Atlantic Ocean via the Adriatic Sea to the Black Sea and a high-pressure system developed over southern Scandinavia. The low-pressure system then changed direction towards the northeast while a strong intensification of this formerly weak system took place. The high amounts of new snow in Russia observed at this time were associated with this system. The high-pressure system moved via central to southeast Europe. Together with low-pressure systems westward of Great Britain and Ireland, which brought also strong winds to Iceland, Great Britain and Ireland, unusual warm air was advected from northern Africa to western and central Europe. At some places in central Europe temperature differences of about 40°C between the maximum temperature in these days and the minimum temperature one week before were observed. During the same days, heavy rain and snow occurred in the eastern Mediterranean region due to a newly developed low-pressure system. Later, a trough swiveled from the Atlantic Ocean to the Iberian Peninsula while getting steeper, cutting-off an upper-level low-pressure system which then moved to northern Africa. A similar event repeated some days later while a high-pressure system developed over the Atlantic Ocean. The high-pressure system moved towards Great Britain and Ireland by the end of February and a low-pressure system shifted its location from northern Scandinavia to Russia. Except for this low-pressure system, the majority of the EFAS domain was influenced by high pressure by the end of February.

In February 2021, the highest precipitation totals were observed at the north-western Iberian Peninsula, Great Britain and Ireland, and eastward of the Adriatic, Aegean and Black Seas (Figure 1). No or almost no precipitation fell in southern Scandinavia, east of the Baltic Sea, at the eastern Balkans, northern Africa and the Levant. Monthly precipitation totals below the long-term means occurred in Iceland, southern Scandinavia, especially east, but almost all around the Baltic Sea, in the Alps, in northern and southern Balkans, northern Levant, the Central Mediterranean region, the southeast Iberian Peninsula and the majority of the African parts of the the EFAS domain (Figure 2). Monthly totals above the long-term means were reported at the north-western Iberian Peninsula, in Great Britain and Ireland, eastern Europe, the Arabian Peninsula and northwest Africa.

The monthly mean air temperature ranged from -33.4°C to 20.5°C with the highest values in the southern parts of the EFAS domain. The lowest temperature values were reported in the northern, eastern and mountainous parts (Figure 3). Air temperature anomalies ranged from -11.2°C to 7.4°C (Figure 4). Monthly mean air temperatures below the long-term means occurred in the eastern and northern parts of the EFAS domain while positive temperature anomalies appeared in the west and south of the domain.