Issued: 0530hrs Saturday 12th January 2008
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling
Low pressure brings frequent bands of rain and strong winds, snow to the north
Saturday
High pressure over Portugal and Spain with plenty of sunshine to come. The far south may have a little more cloud and a few spots of rain cannot be ruled out in Gibraltar. It should be a mainly dry day across France with sunny spells, although cloud increasing to the west bringing rain here later in the day. Wintry showers across the Low Countries with sleet and snow moving through northern Germany with strong winds here. Some wintry showers across Poland. Austria and Hungary should be mainly dry, although cloud and a few outbreaks of rain may affect eastern Switzerland.
Across Italy it will be a breezy day with cloud and periods of rain, this heavy in the north. Generally dry to the south. A few showers in western Greece, but the east should be dry and sunny. More sunshine to come over Turkey and dry here too. The dry conditions extending through Bulgaria and Romania.
To the north conditions will be windier across the Baltic States, with heavier snow affecting Denmark, southern Sweden and Denmark. Snow showers for southern Norway too, whilst there will be some sunshine through central and northern areas.
Sunday
An area of cloud and rain spreading into the west of Portugal and northwest Spain through today. This will bring outbreaks of rain and strong winds at times. For most of the rest of Iberia it will be a dry day with sunny spells. Over western France thicker cloud and outbreaks of rain are likely, while the east and south of France should be dry with sunny spells. Some broken cloud through the Low Countries too and outbreaks of rain in northern Germany, with southern Germany dry and bright. Dry with sunny spells in Poland, whilst Austria and Hungary will have cloud and some outbreaks of rain here and there. Brighter in Switzerland in sunny spells.
For Italy there will be some showers, a few of them heavy at times. A few of the showers affecting western Greece too, whilst eastern Greece stays dry. For Turkey the day is going to be dry as well with sunny spells, and the dry but frosty weather extends into Bulgaria and Romania.
The Baltic States will be rather windy with some snow showers, whilst more persistent snow affects Finland. mainly dry in Sweden with sunny spells, and cloud and some drizzle into Denmark and the south of Norway. A few wintry showers for northern Norway.