Afforestation affects the Earth's climate system by changing the biogeochemical and biogeophysical characteristics of the Earth's surface. While the regional effects of afforestation are well known in the tropics and high latitudes, its climatic impact in mid-latitudes is still a matter of scientific debate. This study examines the general impact of afforestation on regional climate conditions in Europe over recent decades. For this purpose, regional climate simulations with different fractions of forest stands are carried out in Europe. In the first simulation, afforestation in Europe is considered, while in the second simulation this is not the case. We focus on the years 1986–2015, a period in which forest cover in Europe increased relatively significantly, accompanied by a strong general warming over the continent. (Marcus Breil, Vanessa KM Schneider a Joaquim G. Pinto, more on bg.copernicus.org)