Both Canada and the United States witnessed record seasonal temperatures this week, sometimes reaching “summer” levels in mid-February.

National Weather Service (NWS) forecasts indicate that the unusually high temperatures at the beginning of the week in the central United States will be followed by a sudden drop before returning to above-average levels later.

The city of Chicago is set for the “hottest day ever in February or during winter” on Tuesday, with maximum temperatures reaching 20 degrees Celsius, according to local weather services.

But temperatures will soon drop again to below zero, in a “very harsh” change according to meteorologists.

Record temperatures were registered the previous day in both St. Louis, Missouri, and Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota to the north. In the latter, it reached more than 18 degrees Celsius on Monday, the highest temperature for February.

Texas also experienced unusual temperatures, with Dallas reaching about 33 degrees Celsius on Monday, setting a new record for February 26. Local meteorological services warned of fire outbreak risks.

Similarly, record temperatures were recorded in eastern Canada, in both Quebec and Ontario, on Tuesday.

Last January witnessed the highest temperatures ever worldwide, according to the US reference agencies NOAA and the European Copernicus Observatory.