Temperatures of 'up to 22C' expected on New Year's Eve in Germany

When you think of New Year's celebrations in Germany, it's not often you think of a barbecue outdoors or lounging in a local park, but with a blast of warm weather on the horizon, that may not be entirely off the cards. 

According to the German Weather Service (DWD), the turn of the year will be "unusually warm" in many regions of Germany.

In southern Germany in particular, the mercury is expected to exceed 20C over the weekend and even rise to a balmy 22C. Those in the southeast can also look forward to some dry and sunny spells on Sunday, making it ideal weather for getting outdoors.  

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Further north in central and western Germany - and particularly in the Cologne area - temperatures could also get as high at 20C in time for New Year's Eve. 

"This could set a new record for the turn of the year and it far more reminiscent of spring than of winter," DWD explained. 

However, the weather service predicts that in most places the mild weather will be accompanied by overcast skies and some scattered showers. 

For people in the north and in the coastal regions, meanwhile, stormy weather and high winds could dampen the celebratory mood a little. 

"Where exactly rain will start is still unclear," meteorologist Jürgen Schmidt told RND on Wednesday. "But on the coasts and in the North German Plain, the turn of the year could be wet." 

Nevertheless, even in these regions the freezing temperatures seen in mid-December will feel like distant history, with Schmidt predicting that the mercury could hover around 15C.