Issued: 0530hrs Thursday 25th January 2007
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling
Wintry snap continues, unsettled in most central and southern areas
Today
Low pressure over Spain is going to be bringing showers or rain to much of Spain and Portugal through the day. The showers wintry on the hills. Further showers through the Balearics and running through Italy and the Balkans, where again they will be wintry in places. Drier in the east of Greece and Turkey with sunny spells here and still warm.
For most of France the day is likely to be dry, although with a very frosty morning, just an odd wintry shower on northern coasts. Mainly dry too in the Low Countries, most of Germany and Poland with temperatures not rising above freezing. Patchy snow in the Alps, Austria and through Ukraine and Belorus with heavier snow in central Russia.
For Scandinavia snow and rain, together with gale force winds affecting the north and west of Norway, together with northern Sweden. Southern parts of Norway, away from the west coasts should be dry and cold, as will be southern Sweden and Denmark, together with the Baltic States and Finland; temperatures well below freezing.
Friday
Staying chilly with further showers and rain to come across southern Spain, the Balearics, Italy and extending into the Balkans. The same area of unsettled weather affects Bulgaria and Romania, where there will be snow. Drier weather for Portugal, although cool again, with drier weather too in central and northern Spain.
The eastern Mediterranean stays warm in sunny spells, these extending throughout Turkey, eastern Greece and Cyprus.
Southern France, the far north of Italy, Switzerland, Austria and the Czech Republic should be dry with sunny spells. A band of rain affects the north of France, Low Countries, Germany and Denmark, this heralding milder weather returning to the west.
The rain turns to snow through eastern Sweden, the Baltic States and Finland, with strong winds here too. Snow showers follow to the west of Norway, these heavy and persistent and mixed with strong winds. For most of Sweden it should be dry and cold with good spells of sunshine.