Issued: 0530hrs Sunday 20th January 2008
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling
High pressure brings sunshine to the south, but low pressure brings rain to the north
Sunday
A large area of high pressure building through Iberia will be bringing a fine day to most of Spain and Portugal, with plenty of sunshine here throughout the day. More sunshine to come in France too, although along northern coasts it may be windier. Cloud and rain push south through the Low Countries and into much of Germany, although the south of Germany should be brighter. Poland has some rain pushing east. High pressure should keep Switzerland, Austria and Hungary dry, although morning fog and frost is likely here.
Italy is going to be under the influence of high pressure too, and this will bring dry weather here, although there could be some morning frost and fog. Through Greece the day should be dry with more sunshine, and it should stay this way across Turkey,. Crete and Cyprus.
To the north Bulgaria should be dry with sunshine, but rain will be affecting Romania. Strong winds and wintry showers through the Baltic States, with heavy snow and gales for Finland. For Sweden and Denmark there will be some sunshine, with snow showers in the west of Norway.
Monday
The high pressure holds firm through the Mediterranean. This brings lots of sunshine and dry weather through Portugal, Spain and out through the Balearics. Italy is going to be stying fine to, with more sunshine here, and the fine weather extends through into Greece and Turkey as well.
For Central Europe the day will be starting frosty in southern France, but will be dry and sunny overall. Breezier through northern France, and a chance of rain in the northwest later. Breezy and rather cloud too across the Low Countries, northern Germany and central parts of Poland, where the rain could be heavy. For Switzerland, southern Germany, Hungary and Austria as well as Bulgaria and Romania the day will be dry with sunny spells and variable cloud.
Across northern Europe low pressure dominates, and this will be bringing snow through Finland, with heavy snow showers across the Baltic States. More snow showers in Denmark and Norway, but these more scattered for Sweden.