The meteorological situation in April 2019 was characterized by persisting high-pressure systems over northern Europe. Precipitation totals were above the long term means in the southern parts and mostly below in the northern parts of the EFAS domain. The monthly mean air temperature was in the southwestern, southeastern and northeastern parts of the EFAS domain below the long term mean and in the central and northern parts above.

At the beginning of April, a high-pressure system was located over Scandinavia and northeastern Europe. A low-pressure system moved from Iceland via Great Britain and Ireland and dissipated in the Bay of Biscay. Later, one low-pressure system developed over the eastern Baltic Sea and another one over the Balkans. The later one caused heavy rain accompanied by flash floods in the Aegean Sea. Both low-pressure systems did not move a lot before dissolving. By mid-April, the high-pressure system occurred again over Scandinavia. Meteorological events were mainly forced by upper-level activities. Around Easter, a low-pressure system moved from the Atlantic Ocean to the Iberian Peninsula causing floods in Spain. Remains from this system merged with another low-pressure system near Iceland, leading to intense precipitation events in northern Italy and southern France, forcing the high-pressure system to start moving eastward.

Monthly precipitation amounts were up to 414 mm in April 2019. The highest precipitation totals were observed at the Iberian Peninsula and the northern coast of the Mediterranean Sea and at the border between Turkey and Iraq (Figure 1). Nearly no precipitation, due to the persistent high-pressure systems, was observed in the Baltic and eastward and southward adjacent regions as well as some regions in Scandinavia causing a drought situation there. The northern part of the EFAS domain received less than normal and most regions of the southern part of the EFAS domain received more the normal precipitation amounts relative to long term means (Figure 2).

The monthly mean air temperatures ranged from -12°C to 28°C with the highest temperatures in the southern part and lowest temperatures in the northern and mountainous parts of the EFAS domain (Figure 3). Temperature anomalies ranged from -6°C to 7°C, with many regions around the Mediterranean Sea and northeast Europe having below normal temperatures (Figure 4). Abnormally warm temperatures were observed in central and eastern Europe, Scandinavia, western Balkans and the southernmost regions of the EFAS domain.