“This could lead to landslides and flooding,” Andreas Friedrich, a DWD meteorologist told The Local.

The region along the edge of the Alps, from Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Berchtesgaden was subject to a severe weather warning as a result.

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But Friedrich said hay fever could also be just around the corner for some – as the mild temperatures are prompting some trees to bloom early.

“If it remains so mild, areas in the west and south-west, along the Rhine, will soon see hazelnut trees blooming which leads to pollen and hay fever as early as the start of next week,” he said.

There is no snow in sight for areas not in the mountains, which could present an even more serious danger for agriculture – the possibility of a hard frost hitting ground that does not have an insulating layer of snow.

“We cannot tell yet whether this will come, but last year it was mild during January and then there was an extreme frost of down to minus 20 degrees and this was dangerous for plants which had already started to grow and put sap into their roots,” said Friedrich.

Most of the country will remain relatively mild over the weekend, with showers and sometimes heavy rain.

It was too soon to be able to predict whether the rest of the winter would remain mild, said Friedrich, adding there was more than enough time for cold weather to set in before spring.

The Local/hc