Query: temperatures were 6-10C above normal over most of France, Germany and northern Spain during the final days of the month, according to C3S.

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Seville <=SEP=> Seville ( -LSB- səˈvɪl -RSB- Sevilla -LSB- seˈβiʎa -RSB- , -LSB- seˈβi ʝa -RSB- ) is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville , Spain . It is situated on the plain of the river Guadalquivir . The inhabitants of the city are known as sevillanos ( feminine form : sevillanas ) or hispalenses , after the Roman name of the city , Hispalis . Seville has a municipal population of about 703,000 , and a metropolitan population of about 1.5 million , making it the fourth-largest city in Spain and the 30th most populous municipality in the European Union . Its Old Town , with an area of 4 km ² , contains three UNESCO World Heritage Sites : the Alcázar palace complex , the Cathedral and the General Archive of the Indies . The Seville harbour , located about 80 km from the Atlantic Ocean , is the only river port in Spain . Seville is also the hottest major metropolitan area in the geographical Western Europe , with summer average high temperatures of above 35 ° C.   Seville was founded as the Roman city of Hispalis . It later became known as Ishbiliya after the Muslim conquest in 712 . During the Muslim rule in Spain , Seville came under the jurisdiction of the Caliphate of Córdoba before becoming the independent Taifa of Seville ; later it was ruled by the Muslim Almoravids and the Almohads until finally being incorporated into the Christian Kingdom of Castile under Ferdinand III in 1248 . After the discovery of the Americas , Seville became one of the economic centres of the Spanish Empire as its port monopolised the trans-oceanic trade and the Casa de Contratación ( House of Trade ) wielded its power , opening a Golden Age of arts and literature . In 1519 , Ferdinand Magellan departed from Seville for the first circumnavigation of the Earth . Coinciding with the Baroque period of European history , the 17th century in Seville represented the most brilliant flowering of the city 's culture ; then began a gradual economic and demographic decline as silting in the Guadalquivir forced the trade monopoly to relocate to the nearby port of Cádiz .   The 20th century in Seville saw the tribulations of the Spanish Civil War , decisive cultural milestones such as the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 and Expo ' 92 , and the city 's election as the capital of the Autonomous Community of Andalusia .

Valencia <=SEP=> Valencia ( -LSB- vəˈlɛnsiə -RSB- -LSB- baˈlenθja -RSB- ) , officially València ( -LSB- vaˈlensia -RSB- ) , is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third largest city in Spain after Madrid and Barcelona , with around 800,000 inhabitants in the administrative centre . Its urban area extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of around 1.5 -- 1.6 million people . Valencia is Spain 's third largest metropolitan area , with a population ranging from 1.7 to 2.5 million . The Port of Valencia is the 5th busiest container port in Europe and the busiest container port on the Mediterranean Sea . The city is ranked at Gamma in the Globalization and World Cities Research Network .   Valencia was founded as a Roman colony by the consul Decimus Junius Brutus Callaicus in 138 BC , and called Valentia Edetanorum . In 714 Moroccan and Arab Moors occupied the city , introducing their language , religion and customs ; they implemented improved irrigation systems and the cultivation of new crops as well , being capital of the Taifa of Valencia . In 1238 the Christian king James I of Aragon reconquered the city and divided the land among the nobles who helped him conquer it , as witnessed in the Llibre del Repartiment . He also created a new law for the city , the Furs of Valencia , which were extended to the rest of the Kingdom of Valencia . In the 18th century Philip V of Spain abolished the privileges as punishment to the kingdom of Valencia for aligning with the Habsburg side in the War of the Spanish Succession . Valencia was the capital of Spain when Joseph Bonaparte moved the Court there in the summer of 1812 . It also served as capital between 1936 and 1937 , during the Second Spanish Republic .   The city is situated on the banks of the Turia , on the east coast of the Iberian Peninsula , fronting the Gulf of Valencia on the Mediterranean Sea . Its historic centre is one of the largest in Spain , with approximately 169 hectares ; this heritage of ancient monuments , views and cultural attractions makes Valencia one of the country 's most popular tourist destinations .   Valencia is integrated into an industrial area on the Costa del Azahar ( Orange Blossom Coast ) . Valencia 's main festival is the Falles . The traditional Spanish dish , paella , originated in Valencia .

Paris <=SEP=> Paris ( French pronunciation : -LSB- pɑʁi -RSB- , -LSB- paʁi -RSB- ) is the capital and most populous city of France . It has an area of 105 km2 and a population of 2,229,621 in 2013 within its administrative limits . The city is both a commune and department and forms the centre and headquarters of the Île-de-France , or Paris Region , which has an area of 12,012 km2 and a population in 2016 of 12,142,802 , comprising roughly 18 percent of the population of France . By the 17th century , Paris was one of Europe 's major centres of finance , commerce , fashion , science , and the arts , and it retains that position still today . The Paris Region had a GDP of $ 624 billion ( US $ 687 billion ) in 2012 , accounting for 30.0 percent of the GDP of France and ranking it as one of the wealthiest regions in Europe .   The City of Paris is but the core of a built-up area that extends well beyond its administrative limits . Commonly referred to as the agglomération Parisienne , and statistically as a unité urbaine ( a measure of urban area ) , the agglomeration has a 2013 population of 10,601,122 , which makes it the largest in the European Union . City-influenced commuter activity reaches well beyond even this in a statistical aire urbaine de Paris ( a measure of metropolitan area ) , that had a 2013 population of 12,405,426 , a number one-fifth the population of France , and one that makes it , after London , the second largest metropolitan area in the European Union . Although joined in a single urban tissue , Paris ' lack of administrative and economic cohesion with its suburbs has been a longstanding problem , but a 2016 ` Metropole of Grand Paris ' economic and environmental initiative covering an 814 km2 area and a population of 7 million , exists since 2016 .   The city is also a major rail , highway , and air-transport hub served by two international airports : Paris-Charles de Gaulle ( the second busiest airport in Europe after London Heathrow Airport with 63.8 million passengers in 2014 ) and Paris-Orly . Opened in 1900 , the city 's subway system , the Paris Métro , serves 5.23 million passengers daily . It is the second busiest metro system in Europe after Moscow Metro . Notably , Paris Gare du Nord is the busiest railway station in the world outside of Japan , with 262 millions passengers in 2015 .   Paris has many important cultural institutions : its Louvre museum is the most visited in the world ; its Musée d'Orsay is noted for its collection of French Impressionist art , and its Pompidou-center Musée National d'Art Moderne has the largest collection of modern and contemporary art in Europe . The central area of the city along the Seine River is classified as a UNESCO Heritage Site and includes many notable monuments , including Notre Dame Cathedral , the Sainte-Chapelle , the former Universal Exposition Grand Palais , Petit Palais and Eiffel Tower , and the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre . In 2015 , Paris received 22.2 million visitors , making it one of the world 's top tourist destinations .   The association football club Paris Saint-Germain and the rugby union club Stade Français are based in Paris . The 80,000-seat Stade de France , built for the 1998 FIFA World Cup , is located just north of Paris in the neighbouring commune of Saint-Denis . Paris hosts the annual French Open Grand Slam tennis tournament on the red clay of Roland Garros . Paris hosted the 1900 and 1924 Summer Olympics and is bidding to host the 2024 Summer Olympics . The 1938 and 1998 FIFA World Cups , the 2007 Rugby World Cup , and the 1960 , 1984 , and 2016 UEFA European Championships were also held in the city , and every July , the Tour de France bicycle race finishes in the city .

Berlin <=SEP=> Berlin ( -LSB- bəɹˈlɪn -RSB- , -LSB- bɛɐ̯ˈliːn -RSB- ) is the capital and the largest city of Germany as well as one of its 16 constituent states . With a population of approximately 3.7 million , Berlin is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union . Located in northeastern Germany on the banks of the rivers Spree and Havel , it is the centre of the Berlin-Brandenburg Metropolitan Region , which has roughly 6 million residents from more than 180 nations . Due to its location in the European Plain , Berlin is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate . Around one-third of the city 's area is composed of forests , parks , gardens , rivers , canals and lakes .   First documented in the 13th century and situated at the crossing of two important historic trade routes , Berlin became the capital of the Margraviate of Brandenburg ( 14171701 ) , the Kingdom of Prussia ( 1701 -- 1918 ) , the German Empire ( 1871 -- 1918 ) , the Weimar Republic ( 1919 -- 1933 ) and the Third Reich ( 1933 -- 1945 ) . Berlin in the 1920s was the third largest municipality in the world . After World War II and its subsequent occupation by the victorious countries , the city was divided ; East Berlin was declared capital of East Germany , while West Berlin became a de facto West German exclave , surrounded by the Berlin Wall ( 1961 -- 1989 ) and East German territory . Following German reunification in 1990 , Berlin once again became the capital of all-Germany .   Berlin is a world city of culture , politics , media and science . Its economy is based on high-tech firms and the service sector , encompassing a diverse range of creative industries , research facilities , media corporations and convention venues . Berlin serves as a continental hub for air and rail traffic and has a highly complex public transportation network . The metropolis is a popular tourist destination . Significant industries also include IT , pharmaceuticals , biomedical engineering , clean tech , biotechnology , construction and electronics .   Modern Berlin is home to world renowned universities , orchestras , museums , entertainment venues and is host to many sporting events . Its urban setting has made it a sought-after location for international film productions . The city is well known for its festivals , diverse architecture , nightlife , contemporary arts and a high quality of living . Since the 2000s Berlin has seen the emergence of a cosmopolitan entrepreneurial scene .