Germany to see temperatures up to 20C after winter freeze
Just a few days ago there was tons of snow and frozen lakes. But this weekend spring-like weather is expected in most of the country.
But police union bosses say they are worried people won't follow coronavirus rules in the sunshine.
Temperatures across Germany reached over 10C on Friday. The mercury is expected to climb higher on Saturday although there could be some showers, and it will remain chilly in some places, including the northeast.
The warmest areas will be in the west and on the northern edge of the low mountain ranges, with light to moderate winds.
READ ALSO: Germany embraces cold snap amid warnings over icy waterways
On Sunday highs of 19C are expected in Cologne - and the mercury could even hit 20C in some parts of the west locally. Temperatures of around 18C are expected in Hanover and Münster, while forecasters predict 16C for Frankfurt and 15C in Berlin.
On Sunday the southeast around Munich could be a big cooler with about 10C.
Sehr mildes und meist sonniges Wochenende
Nach dem letzten winterlichen #Wochenende mit nachts sehr frostigen Temperaturen, steht uns jetzt ein schon fast frühlingshaftes Wochenende bevor.
Bei viel #Sonnenschein kann es im Südwesten und Westen schon 20 Grad warm werden. /Fr pic.twitter.com/iYlU6i1PIa
— DWD (@DWD_presse) February 18, 2021
The German Weather Service (DWD) tweeted to say the spring-like weather comes after last week's winter weekend. Although it is still expected to be frosty overnight - so don't forget to wrap if you are spending time outside.
The arctic temperatures in recent weeks- which saw lows of 26.7C at one point - were brought to the region by the polar vortex split.
But a new weather front has arrived, bringing with it mild temperatures for the coming days.
READ ALSO: Why Germany is facing extreme winter weather this month
The spring-like weather is caused by a high pressure area dubbed "Ilonka", which is moving in from North Africa, said forecaster Adrian Schmidt of Meteogroup.
Despite the February sun which can be strong, bathing in lakes is not yet the order of the day. "The lakes have to thaw out first," said Schmidt - and they will still be extremely cold.
The weather will cool down towards the end of next week in Germany - although hopefully not to the levels we saw earlier this month.
Police boss urges people to stick to rules
The spring-like forecast is causing some concern.
The German Police Union (DPolG) expects more people to break coronavirus contact rules because of the mild temperatures.
Currently a household is allowed to meet with one other person.
The nice weather could tempt people to become careless, said chairman Rainer Wendt. "Sun rays are not a Corona vaccine - some people forget that."
He urged residents to observe distance rules and contact restrictions, and said police would take action against anyone found to be violating the rules.
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But police union bosses say they are worried people won't follow coronavirus rules in the sunshine.
Temperatures across Germany reached over 10C on Friday. The mercury is expected to climb higher on Saturday although there could be some showers, and it will remain chilly in some places, including the northeast.
The warmest areas will be in the west and on the northern edge of the low mountain ranges, with light to moderate winds.
READ ALSO: Germany embraces cold snap amid warnings over icy waterways
On Sunday highs of 19C are expected in Cologne - and the mercury could even hit 20C in some parts of the west locally. Temperatures of around 18C are expected in Hanover and Münster, while forecasters predict 16C for Frankfurt and 15C in Berlin.
On Sunday the southeast around Munich could be a big cooler with about 10C.
Sehr mildes und meist sonniges Wochenende
— DWD (@DWD_presse) February 18, 2021
Nach dem letzten winterlichen #Wochenende mit nachts sehr frostigen Temperaturen, steht uns jetzt ein schon fast frühlingshaftes Wochenende bevor.
Bei viel #Sonnenschein kann es im Südwesten und Westen schon 20 Grad warm werden. /Fr pic.twitter.com/iYlU6i1PIa
The German Weather Service (DWD) tweeted to say the spring-like weather comes after last week's winter weekend. Although it is still expected to be frosty overnight - so don't forget to wrap if you are spending time outside.
The arctic temperatures in recent weeks- which saw lows of 26.7C at one point - were brought to the region by the polar vortex split.
But a new weather front has arrived, bringing with it mild temperatures for the coming days.
READ ALSO: Why Germany is facing extreme winter weather this month
The spring-like weather is caused by a high pressure area dubbed "Ilonka", which is moving in from North Africa, said forecaster Adrian Schmidt of Meteogroup.
Despite the February sun which can be strong, bathing in lakes is not yet the order of the day. "The lakes have to thaw out first," said Schmidt - and they will still be extremely cold.
The weather will cool down towards the end of next week in Germany - although hopefully not to the levels we saw earlier this month.
Police boss urges people to stick to rules
The spring-like forecast is causing some concern.
The German Police Union (DPolG) expects more people to break coronavirus contact rules because of the mild temperatures.
Currently a household is allowed to meet with one other person.
The nice weather could tempt people to become careless, said chairman Rainer Wendt. "Sun rays are not a Corona vaccine - some people forget that."
He urged residents to observe distance rules and contact restrictions, and said police would take action against anyone found to be violating the rules.
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