Issued: 0530hrs Tuesday 23rd January 2007
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling
Snow for many central areas, wet in the central Mediterranean
Today
Winter has well and truly arrived over Europe today. We've an area of low pressure centred over the Alps this morning, and this is bringing with it strong winds, with gales in parts of eastern France, southern Germany and Switzerland. Not only that but snow is falling through a large swathe of Austria, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, southern and eastern France. Rain and showers extends from the low into Italy and the former Yugoslavia. Rain is also a problem for much of the far north of Spain, this extending down the western coats of Portugal, but only light here.
For southern and eastern Spain and the Balearics it will be cooler, although bright with sunny spells. Dry too over much of Greece and Turkey.
To the north the cold weather persists over the UK, northern France and the Low Countries where there will be some wintry showers. Mainly dry in the north of Germany and Poland, whilst wintry showers affect Denmark and southern Sweden. Very cold through most of Scandinavia with temperatures will below freezing all day.
Wednesday
Low pressure slips east into Wednesday to be over the west of the Ukraine. By then heavy snow and gale force winds will be through Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania, and will continue to fall in Austria, Switzerland, southeast Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic. Snow showers could affect much of central and northern Italy with heavier showers in the former Yugoslavia and parts of western Greece. Eastern Greece and Turkey stay mild.
A cold day to come through Spain and Portugal with heavy showers or rain over northern coasts of Spain and western France, this rapidly turning to snow over the hills and mountains. More southern areas should be drier. A cold day in the Balearics and southern France with a risk of some wintry showers here.
Staying cold throughout more northern parts of Europe with snow showers in the UK and Ireland. Snow showers too for the Low Countries, although eastern France and mot of the rest of Germany should be drier, but cold with sunny spells and a widespread frost. Staying cold too through much of Scandinavia. Temperatures will be close to freezing over much of mainland Europe, so if travelling do be prepared for wintry conditions.