Issued: 0530hrs Saturday 10th February 2007
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling

Rain and wind for central areas, drier to the north and south

Today
A dull and wet day to come across much of France. This showery rain pushing into the Low Countries and Germany. The unsettled weather persists over the UK with rain in the far south and snow and strong winds affecting most of Scotland. More rain to come through Denmark and the north of Poland, most of it light. High pressure through Scandinavia will be keeping Norway and Sweden mainly dry, but very cold.

For Portugal and Spain it will be a mainly dry day. There will be some sunny spells, with the best of the sunshine through eastern and southern parts of Spain. Sunshine too over the south of France and feeling warmer here too.

For the eastern half of the Mediterranean conditions will be more unsettled. Shower or rain are likely to be affecting most of Italy, with the heavier rain pulling away to the south through the day. The rain will be edging into Greece later on. For Turkey, Crete, Cyprus and Israel the day should be dry with sunny spells and feeling fairly warm.

Sunday
Windy through the day for much of France with a risk of gales in the north. There will be heavy rain sweeping eastwards, this into the Low Countries and Germany through the afternoon. The rain will be followed by heavy showers in France and southern parts of the UK in the morning, then pushing into Germany and the Low Countries in the afternoon. Snow for the alps.

Across Spain and Portugal it should be mainly dry, although the northern coasts of Iberia will be cloudier with drizzle and light rain at times. Much of the central Mediterranean will be dry. However, more showery rain is likely to be affecting the south of Italy, with this rain turning more persistent as it heads into the south of Greece. Here it will be an unsettled day with rain, some of it heavy. Showers for Crete and the rain arriving in southwest Turkey later too.