Switzerland to see temperatures 'up to 30C'
April has only just begun and Switzerland is already facing summer temperatures.
It may feel slightly strange to think about shorts and T-shirts so early in the year. But a spell of hot weather is coming.
It will start to get warmer from Thursday and on Friday the thermometer in eastern Switzerland should crack the 20C mark.
Saturday is forecast to be the first 'summer' day of the year.
Temperatures of up to 24C and sunshine are expected around Lake Constance and around 22C in St.Gallen.
In some parts of the country, the Mercury will rise to 25C and up to 28C locally. It is expected to reach 26C in Zurich and 25C in both Geneva and Bern. Overall, it is forecast to be the warmest in foehn regions and in north-west Switzerland.
For instance, on Saturday it could reach 28C in Chur and possibly 29C in Biasca, according to current forecasts by weather service MeteoSchweiz.
And on Sunday, MeteoSchweiz predicts temperatures could reach 29C in Chur and 30C in Biasca.
According to meteorologists, if the temperature is at least 25C, it is classified as a summer day, and if it reaches 30C, it's a heatwave day.
The 30-year average for an April day on the northern side of the Alps is around 15C.
However, this wouldn't be the earliest summer day recorded.
Basel reported 25.2C on March 30th 1989, while Lugano measured 27.3C in March. But some records for the first half of April could be broken in some regions of Switzerland depending on how warm it gets.
Saharan dust cloud may impact temperatures
According to forecasters, there is still some uncertainty about the upcoming days.
The main factor making things more unpredictable is desert dust blowing over from the Sahara.
The next load of Saharan dust will approach western regions over the course of Saturday.
On Sunday and Monday, dust concentrations over Switzerland are likely to be similar to those over Easter. That means cloudy skies can be expected and that could make it less warm.
It comes after a mixed bag of weather over the Easter weekend.
Around 180,000 tonnes of Saharan dust clouded the sky on Saturday and downpours spread over the country on Easter Sunday and Monday.
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It may feel slightly strange to think about shorts and T-shirts so early in the year. But a spell of hot weather is coming.
It will start to get warmer from Thursday and on Friday the thermometer in eastern Switzerland should crack the 20C mark.
Saturday is forecast to be the first 'summer' day of the year.
Temperatures of up to 24C and sunshine are expected around Lake Constance and around 22C in St.Gallen.
In some parts of the country, the Mercury will rise to 25C and up to 28C locally. It is expected to reach 26C in Zurich and 25C in both Geneva and Bern. Overall, it is forecast to be the warmest in foehn regions and in north-west Switzerland.
For instance, on Saturday it could reach 28C in Chur and possibly 29C in Biasca, according to current forecasts by weather service MeteoSchweiz.
And on Sunday, MeteoSchweiz predicts temperatures could reach 29C in Chur and 30C in Biasca.
According to meteorologists, if the temperature is at least 25C, it is classified as a summer day, and if it reaches 30C, it's a heatwave day.
The 30-year average for an April day on the northern side of the Alps is around 15C.
However, this wouldn't be the earliest summer day recorded.
Basel reported 25.2C on March 30th 1989, while Lugano measured 27.3C in March. But some records for the first half of April could be broken in some regions of Switzerland depending on how warm it gets.
Saharan dust cloud may impact temperatures
According to forecasters, there is still some uncertainty about the upcoming days.
The main factor making things more unpredictable is desert dust blowing over from the Sahara.
The next load of Saharan dust will approach western regions over the course of Saturday.
On Sunday and Monday, dust concentrations over Switzerland are likely to be similar to those over Easter. That means cloudy skies can be expected and that could make it less warm.
It comes after a mixed bag of weather over the Easter weekend.
Around 180,000 tonnes of Saharan dust clouded the sky on Saturday and downpours spread over the country on Easter Sunday and Monday.
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