(Bloomberg) -- Europe’s hottest winter on record ever gave way to a milder March, with below-average temperatures in some parts of western parts of the continent.

Last month was the sixth-warmest in Europe since 1979 and cooler than the three warmest months of March worldwide, according to a statement from Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation agency.

Temperatures were below the average of 1981 to 2010 in the vicinity of the Svalbard archipelago, where the ice extended beyond its average limit. Northern and western Canada, Greenland, East Antarctica, the Indian subcontinent and eastern Australia were colder than average as well.

March was still almost 2 degrees Centigrade (35.6 Fahrenheit) warmer than the average between 1981 and 2010. The 2-degree threshold is relevant because the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says it is vital to maintain the global temperature increase below 2 degrees, and ideally below 1.5, to avoid devastating consequences on the environment.

The average temperature for the twelve months to March 2020 is close to 1.3 degrees above the level, Copernicus said. Some of the regions with above-average temperatures include Eastern Europe, Russia and other parts of Asia, as well as the western and northern coasts of Alaska.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.