Even though the official start of spring is over a month away, the current forecast has the weather in Switzerland achieving temperatures of up to 18 degrees on Friday in several parts of the country. MeteoSwiss says it is quite sure that this spring will be warmer than usual.

Highs of 18 degrees Celsius in parts of Switzerland

The weather in Switzerland will remain cloudy for most of the week, with scattered showers seen over the Alps and northern Switzerland on Tuesday and Wednesday. However, this is not to last, with the Federal Office of Meteorology predicting temperatures as high as 18 degrees Celsius in areas of north-western Switzerland on Friday.

Temperatures will rise across the country, with Zurich expecting to see highs of up to 15 degrees and Geneva seeing a cosy 16 degrees. Sadly, this balmy temperature is not set to last, with the mercury plummeting back down to between 3 and 10 degrees by Sunday.

Long term forecast predicts warm spring in Switzerland

In its long-term forecast, MeteoSwiss says it is 60 percent sure that this spring season will be “above average” in terms of temperature, however they concede that this forecast is “inherently subject to great uncertainty.” Warm springs are not good news for the environment, with higher than normal temperatures wreaking havoc on many species' life cycles.

There is also not great news for hay-fever sufferers, with alder (hazelnut) being the first tree to release its pollen on Monday. The season of sneezes will continue, starting with most trees before moving on to other plants.