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Warm, slushy Christmas in store for Germany

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Warm, slushy Christmas in store for Germany
Photo: DPA

Most Germans will likely have to do without a white Christmas this year, with the German weather service (DWD) predicting unseasonably mild temperatures. Some predictions even foresee 19 degrees Celsius in the south west.

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A clash of high- and low-pressure weather fronts will likely lead to a chilly weekend followed by unusually high temperatures over the Christmas holidays, the DWD reported on Friday.

"Ninety-nine percent of people in Germany will probably have a green Christmas," a DWD meteorologist said. The only part of the country guaranteed snow on Christmas Day will be the top of its highest mountain, the Zugspitze in Bavaria.

Click here for The Local's weather forecast

On Saturday, the north east of the country will be frosty, while the south west will see mild temperatures of 10 degrees. There is also a good chance of precipitation across the country, either in the form of sleet or rain, which could form black ice at night.

Sunday will bring warmer temperatures around Germany - though they will be accompanied by rain and strong winds.

The north east will be the last area affected by the mild weather, and snow is likely to fall there on Sunday, only to turn to rain during the night. Again, roads are likely to be slippery on Christmas Eve - with temperatures reaching a balmy 15 to 19 degrees in the south and south west.

The weather will then continue to be mild throughout Christmas and towards the New Year, with rainfall and temperatures above zero everywhere. That could lead to higher water levels in Germany's rivers, though it remains unclear whether these will be high enough to cause flooding. The Danube and Neckar rivers are expected to be worst affected, though the Rhine and Main in the west will also rise.

The Local/bk

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