Issued: 0530hrs Wednesday 14th March 2007
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling
Lots of dry weather and sunshine in the west, but a more unsettled east
Today
A large area of high pressure is going to be centred over the west of Europe through today. This is going to be bringing a fine day to Portugal and Spain as well as the Balearics, plenty of sunshine here throughout the day. Inland parts of France may wake to a chilly start, but soon warming up with good spells of sunshine then coming through, although northern areas of France may be a little breezy. The fine weather extends through Germany and Switzerland too with more sunshine here.
Italy and the former Yugoslavia will find themseleves under the influence of that high with more sunshine and dry weather, these extending through most of Greece. However, low pressure will be centred close to Cyprus and this will be bringing rain and showers, together with strong winds to much of Turkey, Cyprus and Israel.
Fine for Bulgaria and Romania with sunny spells here, but some showers slipping southwards through Poland and the Czech Republic. Austria and Hungary should stay fair. Breezy with a few showers in the Baltic States.
For more northern areas such as Norway it will be a windy day with some rain and drizzle encroaching from the west. Denmark and Sweden should be largely dry with sunny spells, but breezy again. Staying breezy through Finland, and apart from a shower in the wind it should be dry here.
Thursday
High pressure persists again through Thursday. Much of Spain, Portugal and France are set to have a fine day again with lots of sunshine to come, although there is a risk of some morning mist and fog patches in a few places. These are going to be clearing away and then the day will be one of sunshine throughout. The sunshine moving through much of central Europe with Germany, the Low Countries, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary all enjoying it.
Fine conditions too for Italy and the former Yugoslavia, more sunny spells here throughout the course of the day. Greece should be dry too overall, although with a northeast wind, Aegean coasts of Greece may feel cooler. Things also improving slightly through Turkey, although it will stay breezy with some drizzle in the east. many southern parts of Turkey and Cyprus should be dry.
An odd shower over Romania, but Bulgaria should be dry. Some cloud too into Belarus, with drizzle and cloud through the Baltic States.
A cloudier, wetter day for Finland with rain here, especially in the south. Much of Sweden and Denmark will be breezy with lots of cloud and some drizzle for west facing coasts. More persistent rain heading into Norway with gales in the west.