Brits hoping to head south for some sunshine in April may be left disappointed as new weather maps reveal an incoming deluge of rain and even snow storms. The maps generated by WXCharts on March 20 show suggest that, on April 2, parts of the Italian mainland, Sicily, Croatia and even mainland Greece will be hit by rain and snow.
At the time when temperatures are supposed to begin to soar in Greece, with daytime highs of up to 19C on average, tourists may very well need to pack a raincoat instead of pairs of shorts. The incoming bad weather across Europe comes just as Spain grapples with orange and yellow weather warnings across the mainland area and its islands, with widespread alerts in place today for heavy rain, strong winds and rough seas among the concerns. So far, three bodies have been found as storms battered the country.
Italy
Only northern Italy and the island of Sardinia will escape the incoming snow storms and heavy rain, the weather maps suggest. The toe of Italy’s boot, including the coastal city of Reggio Calabria, will be hit with heavy rain, with over two millimetres per hour expected in some areas. This rain cloud will stretch across to the island of Sicily, with its tourism capital, Palermo, also set for a deluge.
Much of Italy’s eastern coast will also face rain, with over five millimetres an hour predicted to fall in the area around Termoli on the Adriatic coast. The heel will also be affected, with up to one millimetre per hour in and around Lecce and Taranto.
As much as three centimetres of snow per hour is also expected to fall in central Italy, in the area west of Rome. A small section around Parco Nazionale della Sila will also see up to one centimetre of snow per hour.
Croatia
Tourists headed for Dubrovnik will also be disappointed, should the forecast prove correct, as the Croatian city is also set to face up to one millimetre of rain per hour. The popular islands of Brac, Hvar and Korcula will also be affected by this rain cloud. The inland areas near the city of Osijek – the fourth-largest in Croatia – will also see substantial rainfall, as per the WX Charts maps.
Areas of the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina will also find themselves buried beneath a large snow storm, which could see up to three centimetres in some areas.
Greece
The Greek mainland will be worst affected by the incoming bad weather in April, with up to 10 millimetres of rain per hour expected in the Peloponnese region, including the regional capital of Patras. Many of the Ionian islands, including Corfu and Lefkada, will also face a downpour of up to one millimetre per hour.
A large band of snowy weather will also hit much of the mainland, including the city of Ioannia, stretching northwards into Albania and North Macedonia.
