Issued: 0530hrs Thursday 30th December 2010
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling

Misty and murky for much of central Europe with snow showers through Scandinavia, and rain showers in the Mediterranean

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.

Friday
Heavy showers for central and southern parts of Spain today, otherwise it is going to be staying sunny and dry throughout; warm across all parts of Iberia too. For France the day is going to be a chilly one. It should be dry though with some sunny spells, although fog affects the north. The Low Countries will be dry, but foggy at times, whilst snow showers push through Germany and Poland. More fog patches across Hungary and Austria as well as in some of the Swiss valleys.
For Italy the day is going to be dry overall with some good spells of sunshine, although there will be some heavy showers affecting more western areas. More sunshine and warm conditions across Greece and Turkey, with some cloud over central and eastern Turkey too. Bulgaria and Romania will be rather misty with some fog patches , but it should be dry here.
Snow affect the Baltic States through the day, most of it light. A risk of some more persistent snow through Finland whilst Sweden should be dry. Increasing cloud through Denmark bringing hazy sunshine here, and turning wet and windy over central and southern Norway.