Issued: 0530hrs Thursday 21st January 2010
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling

Cold weather holding on in the north, but rain in the southeast

Thursday
Cloud and outbreaks of rain in the far northwest of Portugal today. Elsewhere through Portugal and Spain the day is going to be dry with plenty of sunshine. fair through the Balearics as well with more sunshine here. France is going to have some mist or fog patches in central and southern areas at first and some may last through the day. A few showers i the far northwest of France. For the Low Countries there will be some cloud and outbreaks of rain. Germany will be cold but dry, with some snow flurries spreading through Poland. A few snow flurries in Hungary, but Austria and Switzerland should be dry with sunny spells.
A few showers in northern Italy. Through central and southern areas conditions will be more unsettled thanks to a deep area of low pressure off the south coast. There will be cloud and rain in the south, and this is going to be heavy at times. More rain through western Greece later. Cyprus and eastern Turkey may have some cloud and showery periods of rain, but dry to the west with sunny spells. To the north Bulgaria and Romania will be dry and very cold with the risk of some snow in the north of Bulgaria.
A bitterly cold day through the Baltic States and Finland in a brisk east wind. It should be dry, although rather cloudy. Snow flurries affecting Sweden and these will be spreading to Denmark too. More cold weather and some snow flurries for southern Norway, but fair to the north.

Friday
Cloud and some drizzle over the northwest of Spain. Elsewhere Spain and Portugal should be dry with sunny spells. More dry weather across the Balearics. Cloud and some outbreaks of rain affecting the western half of France, but to the east it should be dry. A cold day to come across the Low Countries. Fair through Germany, but cold and staying that way for Poland too. A few snow flurries in Hungary and Austria and very cold here. Mainly dry and cold in Switzerland.
A fair day over northern and central Italy, with some showers in the far south. Low pressure brings rain and strong winds through the Aegean, this affecting much of Greece and Crete as well as Turkey. For Bulgaria and Romania the day is cold with some snow flurries in places.
High pressure to the north will be bringing bitterly cold weather and some snow flurries across the Baltic States and Finland. Cold too over Sweden and Denmark, with some rain and snow in western Norway later.