Unseasonably warm weather headed to the Czech Republic next week

Unusually high temperatures for the end February are coming to the Czech Republic next week, according to forecasts published by the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute this weekend.

Some areas of the country, including Prague, will see lots of sun and daily highs of up to 17 °C. Other areas, which will see more overcast skies, will see temperatures about ten degrees lower.

Temperatures are forecast to peak at around the middle of next week and remain high through the first week in March. Afterwards, they are expected to cool slightly as winter officially turns into spring.

"The end of February will be much warmer than usual, the beginning of March will also bring warmer weather," CHMI meteorologists state.

"And in the last week of the astronomical winter, the weekly temperature will fall slightly below normal." 

Precipitation is also forecast to be lower than normal over the next two weeks.

The warm weather comes just a week after heavy snowfall and extremely low temperatures were recorded across the country. On Monday, February 15, Prague recorded a nighttime low of -16 °C and a daytime high of -5 °C.

Temperatures have quickly risen since then, however, and snow has been melting in Prague over the past week. It will start to melt in mountain areas as well over the course of the next week.

In addition to the high temperatures, more particles from the Sahara desert, which colored snow in the Czech mountains orange two weeks ago, is also expected to flow across central Europe next week.

The sand particles could reduce temperatures by a couple degrees, as well as result in some particularly colorful sunsets. The effect on the atmosphere will be most noticeable at sunrise and sunset.

For a full monthly forecast and other Czech weather updates, see the official site of the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute.