Croatia is headed towards an unusually extreme change in weather this week, forecasts say.

The situation in flood affected areas was still difficult on Thursday (March 15). Flood alerts are still in place in the towns of Jasenovac and Kostajnica in central Croatia. The river levels are rising due to snowmelt as well as rains, which are expected to intensify later in the week.

Later on Thursday rains are expected to intensify, so on Friday wet and cloudy weather is expected. But a turn for the worse is forecast for Saturday, when cold winds from northern and northeastern Europe will sweep in during the weekend and cool down temperatures by up to 20 degrees Celsius.

During the rest of the weekend, and early next week, snowfall is also likely in northern and central Adriatic, Dalmatian hinterland, and almost all continental areas, in what will be an extreme change of weather for late March.