European nations report record high temperatures for the month of January

European nations have reported record high temperatures for the month of January leading to balmy weather in many places at the start of this year.

Temperatures in the Netherlands, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Latvia, Czech Republic, Poland, Denmark and Belarus broke national records, the BBC reported.

Meanwhile, station records were broken in Germany, France and Ukraine.

The temperature recorded in Poland's capital Warsaw on January 1 was 18.9 degrees Celsius, 4 degrees higher than the previous record for the month, and Belarus' record high was 16.4 degrees, some 4.5 degrees above the previous record.

On the same day, Spain's Bilbao city recorded 25.1 degrees Celsius, more than 10 degrees above average and equivalent to the temperature in July.

Parts of Catalonia, including Barcelona, were subjected to restrictions on water use.

In Switzerland, temperatures hit 20 degrees Celsius, and the warm weather has affected ski resorts across the Alps which have seen a snow shortage, reports the BBC.

However, colder weather and snow have been predicted in parts of Scandinavia and Moscow this weekend with the temperatures expected to drop to -20 degrees Celsius.

This development comes just days after the UK, Ireland, France and Spain declared 2022 as their hottest year on record.