Issued: 0530hrs Wednesday 29th December 2010
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling

Milder air for much of western Europe, although colder conditions remain across the northeast

Wednesday
Cloud and rain affecting the coasts of Portugal through today. Much of Spain will be mild and dry with some good spells of sunshine. France is going to be largely dry and much milder, although there will be some mist and fog patches. The Low Countries has some fog but where this breaks there will be some sunny spells. Cloud and some sleet or light snow over western and northern Germany. Poland should be dry and cold with some sunny spells. Hungary has cloud and some drizzle, Austria and Switzerland should be dry and chilly although with a risk of some mist and fog.
Murky inland across Italy, but for most of the country the day should be dry with sunny spells. More sunshine and mild weather to come across Greece where it will be very warm. Turkey has some cloud and drizzle over western areas, but the east should be dry. Bulgaria and Romania has some mist and fog patches, these slowly clearing and staying cold too.
Low pressure over western Russia brings snow to parts of the Baltic States. Finland is going to be cold and largely dry. Staying cold across Sweden and dry here too. Norway and Sweden should be dry and chilly as well.

Thursday
Rain through Portugal but for most of Spain the day is going to be dry with some bright or sunny spells. Mild across France with some cloud and rain or drizzle to the west.The Low Countries and Germany are likely to have plenty of mist and fog patches, these dense in places. Poland will be cold with some mist and fog patches too. A cold day across Hungary, Austria and Switzerland but it should be fair throughout.
Italy has a dry day with some sunny spells, the best of them to the west. Greece will be mild with sunny spells, whilst some cloud and drizzle affects central parts of Turkey. Bulgaria and Romania have mist and fog throughout the day, although some bright spells may break through. Cold here too.
Cloud and snow across the Baltic States and eastern Finland. More snow for northern and central parts of Sweden, whilst the south should be dry. Denmark is breezy and dry with sunny spells, although some sleet and rain arriving in the north. Wintry showers across Sweden.