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18 degrees and sunshine: Warm weather predicted for Switzerland this weekend

After months of snow and frosty temperatures, things are set to get a fair bit warmer this weekend before trending cold and rainy again on Monday.

Published: 19 February 2021 09:57 CET
18 degrees and sunshine: Warm weather predicted for Switzerland this weekend
A picture of sunny weather in Gampelen, Switzerland. Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

Temperatures of up to 18 degrees are predicted for several parts of Switzerland over the weekend. 

On Friday afternoon rain is predicted for much of the northern part of the country, with temperatures hitting maximums of between 11 and 14 degrees. 

 

 

 

On Saturday, the mercury is expected to climb to 18 across much of the country – including in the major cities. 

Sunday is expected to stay mild. 

Bad news for hay fever victims

Swiss weather agency MeteoNews warns however that the spring-like temperatures are set to cause havoc for allergy sufferers. 

Pollen levels are expected to be high over the weekend – particularly in the north of the country. 

 

 

Winter is coming (again)

Cold air and winds coming from the north and east are expected to start up again on Monday – meaning a return to low temperatures is just around the corner. 

The agency is warning Swiss residents to resist the temptation to put the warm jacket away, with double digit minuses predicted for much of the country from Monday onwards. 

 

 

 

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WEATHER

IN PICTURES: ‘Exceptional’ Sahara dust cloud hits Europe

An "exceptional" dust cloud from the Sahara is choking parts of Europe, the continent's climate monitor said on Monday, causing poor air quality and coating windows and cars in grime.

Published: 8 April 2024 14:15 CEST
IN PICTURES: 'Exceptional' Sahara dust cloud hits Europe

Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service said the latest plume, the third of its kind in recent weeks, was bringing hazy conditions to southern Europe and would sweep northward as far as Scandinavia.

Mark Parrington, senior scientist at Copernicus, said the latest event was related to a weather pattern that has brought warmer weather to parts of Europe in recent days.

“While it is not unusual for Saharan dust plumes to reach Europe, there has been an increase in the intensity and frequency of such episodes in recent years, which could be potentially attributed to changes in atmospheric circulation patterns,” he said.

This latest episode has caused air quality to deteriorate in several countries, Copernicus said.

The European Union’s safe threshold for concentrations of PM10 — coarser particles like sand and dust that that can irritate the nose and throat — has already been exceeded in some locations.

A picture taken on April 8, 2024 shows a rapeseed field under thick sand dust blown in from the Sahara, giving the sky a yellowish appearance near Daillens, western Switzerland. – An “exceptional” dust cloud from the Sahara is choking parts of Europe, the continent’s climate monitor said, causing poor air quality and coating windows and cars in grime. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)

The worst affected was the Iberian Peninsula in Spain but lesser air pollution spikes were also recorded in parts of Switzerland, France and Germany.

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Local authorities in southeastern and southern France announced that the air pollution threshold was breached on Saturday.

They advised residents to avoid intense physical activity, particularly those with heart or respiratory problems.

The dust outbreak was expected to reach Sweden, Finland and northwest Russia before ending on Tuesday with a shift in weather patterns, Copernicus said.

The Sahara emits between 60 and 200 million tonnes of fine dust every year, which can travel thousands of kilometres (miles), carried by winds and certain meteorological conditions.

The Spanish Canary Islands off the coast of northwest Africa saw just 12 days within a 90-day period from December to February where skies were free of Saharan dust, the local weather agency Aemet had reported.

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