Issued: 0530hrs Tuesday 13th February 2007
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling

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

Today
Heavy rain passing into Portugal, western and northern parts of Spain through the day. There will be rain too affecting the far northwest of France, with a further band of rain extending northwards through Ireland, western England, western Scotland and the west of England.
The east and south of Spain, the Balearics and most of France should be dry and mild with some good spells of sunshine. This dry weather extending into Italy, the Low Countries and Switzerland.
Low pressure dominates through eastern parts of Europe. Showers are forecast in Germany, these extending through the Balkans and into Romania and Bulgaria as well as much of Greece and Turkey.
Further north much of Scandinavia should be mainly dry, although parts of eastern Sweden and Finland will be cold with some snow flurries.

Wednesday
It is the UK and France that will be seeing heavy rain and strong winds through Wednesday. This rain spreading into the Low Countries, Switzerland and the north of Italy during the afternoon. Drier weather moving through Portugal and Spain, and then into the west of France and Ireland; good sunny spells coming through and feeling warm here too.
The eastern half of Germany, Austria, Hungary, Italy and the former Yugoslavia should be dry with some sunshine here. Generally dry too for Norway and Sweden as well as Finland and the Baltic Sates. Drier weather into Poland, but some snow showers through the Ukraine, Belarus and the Ukraine.
Some good spells of sunshine to come through Greece and Crete, although heavy showers look likely to be affecting Turkey, Cyprus and Israel.