An unusual surge of warm air from the southwest turned early December into an almost spring-like day across much of Czechia. Monday’s (December 8) afternoon temperatures soared, shattering more than a hundred-year-old records at several long-term weather stations, including those in Prague and České Budějovice.

According to the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI), new temperature records were set at 53 of the 172 stations that have been measuring for at least 30 years. The highest temperature came from the northwestern town of Žatec, where the mercury hit 15 °C. That’s a striking jump from the previous record of 11.8 °C recorded there in 1974.

Tušimice, also in the Ústí region, closely followed with 14.8 °C, surpassing the local record from 1979. In fact, more than half of all weather stations in the Ústí region reported new highs, making this one of the warmest early Decembers ever recorded in the area.

Even the nation’s capital joined the record-breaking run. The iconic Klementinum station in Prague, which has weather records going back to the 18th century, measured 14.5 °C — breaking its previous December 8 record of 13.4 °C set in 1914. Other parts of Prague, including Karlov and Libuš, also outperformed their long-standing marks.

Farther south, České Budějovice registered 14.5 °C, surpassing a temperature last observed in 1915. The warmth varied across the country depending on local wind and sunshine, with the highest readings concentrated in the Ústí, Central Bohemian, and South Bohemian regions, as well as in Prague.

Meteorologists forecast that similar mild weather patterns may persist through Tuesday and Wednesday, especially in Bohemia, though Moravia is expected to stay slightly cooler. While temperatures are set to drop later in the week, they will remain significantly above the long-term December average — an unmistakable reminder of how rapidly weather extremes are becoming part of Czechia’s new climate reality.