Russian TV has taken its gung-ho coverage of air strikes in Syria to another level by airing cheery weather forecasts for its fighter jets bombing Syria.

A female forecaster on the state-owned Rossiya 24 rolling news channel told viewers that Syria's weather in October was "ideal for carrying out operational sorties".

Standing in front of an image of a bomber and the headline "Flying weather", the forecaster gave a straight-faced analysis of the perfect conditions for bombing.

Light cloud cover "will not make flying more difficult and will not influence the systems for aiming weapons," she told viewers on Saturday.

"Experts note the time for the start of the air operation (in Syria) is chosen very well," the forecaster said, flicking between weather charts and defence ministry footage of strikes.

The forecast came after the same channel ran a similarly sunny forecast on Thursday after the first Russian strikes, promising stable meteorological conditions.

"From today, Syria has become another Russian region and is included on the weather," commented one Twitter user.

"Even in the USSR they didn't get propaganda into the forecasts," wrote reader Tatyana Karagova on the Novaya Gazeta opposition newspaper's website.

It is not the first time in recent years that Russia's weather has gone political. TV channels swiftly including Crimea in their forecasts after it was annexed by Moscow in March last year.

One forecaster on Rossiya 24 warned of clouds gathering over eastern Ukraine and a "wind of change" shortly after pro-Kremlin protesters declared a people's republic in the city of Donetsk in April last year.

The Syria air strikes have eclipsed previous wall-to-wall coverage of the conflict in Ukraine.

A timeline of Russian air strikes on Syria
Beirut (AFP) Oct 5, 2015 - Russia has launched air strikes on Syria, saying its intervention is against the jihadist Islamic State group, while Turkey and its allies say it is targeting moderate regime opponents.

Moscow says it has sent more than 50 military aircraft as well as marines, paratroopers and special forces to the war-torn country.

Wednesday, September 30

- The Russian parliament's upper house gives President Vladimir Putin formal permission to begin air strikes in Syria.

- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad asks Putin for military aid.

- Russian warplanes carry out their first strikes in Syria, hitting "eight Islamic State targets" including a command post, the defence ministry says.

- A Syrian security source says Russian and Syrian warplanes strike "terrorist positions" in the provinces of Hama in the northwest and Homs in the centre.

- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor says, however, the strikes mainly targeted Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front and other Islamist rebels.

- Putin says Moscow must act preemptively to destroy jihadists in Syria before they present a threat closer to home.

Thursday, October 1

- The Russian warplanes destroy Al-Qaeda and Islamist rebel targets in Idlib and Hama, a Syrian security source says.

The IS is not present in Idlib, has only a marginal presence in Hama, and in Homs is present only in desert areas and the ancient city of Palmyra.

- Russia carries out its first air strikes on IS's main Syrian bastion of Raqa.

- The US and Russia discuss how to avoid mishaps between planes from the American-led coalition and Moscow.

Friday, October 2

- Seven members of the coalition -- the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey -- urge Moscow to stop attacks on the Syrian opposition and civilians and focus on fighting IS.

- Russian strikes in Syria will last for three to four months and will intensify, says Alexei Pushkov, head of the foreign affairs committee of Russia's lower house of parliament.

- US President Barack Obama warns Russia's engagement in Syria is a "recipe for disaster," as Putin "doesn't distinguish between ISIL (IS) and a moderate Sunni opposition that wants to see Mr Assad go."

Sunday, October 4

- Russia's bombing campaign is a "grave mistake", Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warns.

- Assad says that the success of Russia's intervention is vital for the whole Middle East, and that its failure would mean the region risks being "destroyed".

- The IS riposts to the strikes by blowing up the famous Arch of Triumph in Palmyra.

Monday, October 5

- Turkey protests to Moscow after its F-16 jets intercept a Russian fighter plane that violated its airspace near Syria at the weekend, forcing it to turn back. Two Turkish jets were also harassed by an unidentified MIG-29 on the border, Turkey says.

- NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warns Russia to avoid escalating tensions with the trans-Atlantic alliance through "unacceptable" violations of Turkish airspace.

- Russian jets carry out strikes on nine IS sites in Syria in 24 hours, Moscow says. But the details indicate they mostly aimed at positions belonging to other groups, notably Al-Nusra Front.

- More than 40 of the most powerful rebel factions say that Russia's campaign has made a political solution to the country's conflict impossible.