A cold wave is a period of unusually cold weather. Extreme cold can have a negative impact on materials and production processes as well as on human health. Late frosts pose a particular risk to fruit farming. In regions with a predominantly cold climate, it is assumed that buildings are adapted to the cold and therefore the impact of low temperatures is generally low. A decrease in cold spells can already be observed throughout Europe, which is expected to increase as climate change progresses. In contrast, the risk of late frosts in Europe has increased in recent years.
In our analyses, we assess the risk of cold waves based on the number of annual frost days (daily minimum temperature < 0 °C).