Issued: 0530hrs Thursday 9th December 2010
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling
Cold weather plunges south through Friday
Thursday
Fair and warm across the south of Spain and Portugal today with good spells of sunshine. More cloud and drizzle will be affecting the north of Iberia, with strong winds and cold weather in southern France. Central and northern France are cold but generally dry. The Low Countries have further cold conditions and some snow showers and will be breezy too. This cold weather with snow showers extending to Germany and Poland where there is the risk of snow showers too. Austria, Hungary and Switzerland should be breezy and cold but dry overall.
Low pressure over Italy brings rain, strong winds and some snow to the far north. The south should be brighter with some sunny spells. Fair again for Greece with more sunshine to come here and staying fine and sunny through Turkey too. For Bulgaria and Romania the day should be dry with sunny spells.
Unsettled weather for the Baltic States and southern Finland where there will be some snow. Snow showers affecting Sweden, with more persistent, but light, snow for Denmark. A few snow showers in Norway too.
Friday
Drizzle and low cloud may affect the coasts of Portugal today. Inland parts should be brighter with some sunshine to come throughout the day. More sunshine and dry weather over France and cold here as well. Cloud and some outbreaks of drizzle for the Low Countries and northwestern parts of Germany. Fair over Poland with plenty of sunshine and staying dry here as well. A few wintry showers across Hungary and Austria. Fine for Switzerland but chilly here.
A cold day to come across Italy. There will be good spells of sunshine, especially in the west. A band of cloud and rain spreading south through Greece and into Cyprus and Crete with brighter weather following from the north. Cold air arrives with the brighter weather too. Turkey has cloud and periods of rain throughout. Cold with snow showers across Bulgaria and Romania.
The northerly wind brings cold weather and snow showers through the Baltic States and Finland. Fair across Sweden and very cold here. Fine over Denmark but then cloud and rain or sleet spreading to Norway.