This week sees "Granny's Summer" come to the Czech Republic: how did the season gets its name?

As the epidemic numbers worsen, there’s at least one bright spot on the horizon: the summer-like weather set to characterize the coming weeks in the Czech Republic, allowing open-air events to take place as well as the soaking up of essential vitamin D before cold weather sets in.

From Monday temperatures are expected to climb to 30°C with a gradual cool-down toward the end of the week. Clears skies, minimal rainfall, and cooler nights are in the monthly forecast for the Czech Republic but the CHMI says fluctuations are to be expected.

“With the continuing autumn, average temperatures will gradually decrease, but even so, they should mostly remain above the limit of long-term temperature norms or move at the interface of normal and above-average values,” say meteorologists.

The long-term average temperature in the Czech Republic during the period from 14 September to 11 October is 11.4 degrees Celsius.

Warm weather is caused by extensive pressure levels, over Central and Southeastern Europe. It typically occurs from September 21 to October 2 and in the Czech Republic is sometimes called St. Wenceslas summer for the patron saint of the Czech state who was martyred on September 28.

Another natural occurrence that could hint at the origins of granny’s summer is the seasonal visibility of the open star clusters in the constellation Taurus.