By Friday night, the worst of the rain will have eased, leaving thick clouds and scattered showers across the north and north-western states. The east, while grey, will probably stay dry with a brisk wind. Temperatures should be between 9C and 5C at the lowest.

As morning arrives, rain will concentrate on drenching the east and north of the country, with the odd thunderclap thrown in – proof the weather is indeed warming up. In the south, the chance of rain is slim as temperatures climb through the morning to 18C. In the north, they should reach 15C.

By Saturday night the clouds will clear apart from in the west and north west where the odd shower is expected. These clouds will keep the night warmer with lows of 5C while in the starry-skied east, they could drop to 0C.

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Sunday will begin with some rain for the north and northwest, but sun in more southern states. As the afternoon settles in, as will prolonged spells of sunshine all over the country, along with highs of 24C. Along the coast could be cooler though, with temperatures resting between 10C and 17C.

A handful of clouds may well stick around through Sunday night, but in most places it will be clear until fog starts building before dawn. In the west, temperatures should sink to between 10C and 14C and in the east between 2C and 10C.

Monday should, the DWD said, be the day the whole country has been waiting for. The sun should appear almost everywhere, pushing temperatures up to the 22C in the north and 26C in the south. A gentle breeze will add a little relief for those not used to such exotic climes.

The night could be more dramatic though, with storms and heavy rain possible in the south east. The west and north west should stay clear though. Temperatures will be comparatively cold, between 10C and 4C in the north and 13C and 8C in the south.

The Local/jcw