Issued: 0530hrs Wednesday 21st March 2007
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling

Low pressure keeps central and eastern areas unsettled, but the west should be drier

Today
A cold day in France in northerly winds, bringing snow showers to many, some of them heavy at times; windy here too. There will be further wintry showers to come across the Low Countries and much of Germany, and again some of the showers could be heavy at times.
A windy day to come through Switzerland and Austria, with snow here.
For northern parts of Spain there will be showers over the northern hills. For Portugal and the rest of central and southern Spain it should be staying dry with sunny spells. Further showers over eastern parts of Spain, these heavy and wintry at times. Further showers to come across the Balearics and again these are likely to be heavy in places.
Over Italy the day is going to be unsettled with further showers and these will be heavy at times in places. There will be more showers in the former Yugoslavia as well as Greece. The showers and rain extending into western Turkey, although much of the rest of Turkey should be staying dry with sunny spells.
Through Bulgaria and Romania it will turn colder as a band of rain spreads eastwards. This rain also moving into the Ukraine and Belarus. heavier rain or snow in Poland, with very windy weather in the west of Russia, with more rain and winds running into the Baltic States.
Finland should be mainly dry with some rain over southern parts. The north dry and cold. Sweden and Norway will be staying dry and cold with sunny spells. Windy through southern Sweden, rain and snow here later.

Thursday
Outbreaks of rain through the UK and Ireland, most of it fairly light. There will be scattered showers over much of France, with strong winds and wintry showers or rain through much of Germany and Denmark. The snow and rain extending into Switzerland, where it is going to be windy too.
Outbreaks of rain for the north of Portugal and Spain, whilst central and southern areas are going to be dry with sunny spells. Windy through southern France and the Balearics with showers here, some of them wintry and heavy.
Further showers across Italy, heavy at times, with more showers in the former Yugoslavia. For Greece and Crete it will be cloudy and wet with further rain. Most of Turkey and Cyprus should be dry with sunny spells. Further cloud and rain across Romania and Bulgaria. More rain in western Russia with the winds increasing here, and the rain and cloud spreading into the Baltic States.
Rain and cloud over southern Sweden, this edging north. Western parts of Norway will be cloudy and showery, whilst the rest of Scandinavia will be dry and cold with sunny spells.