Issued: 0530hrs Friday 24th December 2010
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling
It's a cold night for Father Christmas, milder to the south
Christmas Eve
Cold air plunging through Iberia today. This takes an area of cloud and rain southwards through Spain, mostly to the east. Brighter and colder weather follows, together with showers. Snow showers across France, some of them heavy and breezy here. More persistent and heavy snow for southern and eastern parts of France. Windy across the Low Countries and Germany and very cold here with a few snow showers. Cloud and snow affecting Poland, with rain through Hungary and heavy snow affecting Austria and Switzerland.
Italy will have an unsettled day with cloud and some heavy periods of rain across northern and western parts of the country. To the south it is drier with some sunny spells. Greece and Turkey will have lots of sunshine and very warm weather. Misty and murky through Bulgaria and Romania but mild here as well.
The Baltic States stay cold and breezy through the day. Very cold but dry across Finland. Cold and windy for Sweden and bitterly cold in the north. Staying very cold across Denmark and Norway with south snow to the southwest.
Christmas Day
Some showers affecting the west of Portugal for Christmas Day, but for most of the country it should be dry and sunny. Staying dry with sunshine across Spain. France is going to be cold with a strong wind across southern areas, the risk of some freezing fog in the far north. Chilly across the Low Countries with the threat of a few snow flurries here. Snow flurries affecting northern Germany and Poland too, with snow extending into Hungary. Austria and Switzerland will both be very cold with a few sunny spells.
Low pressure across Italy brings more unsettled weather here. Heavy snow could affect the far north of the country, whilst showers are going to be troubling central and southern areas. A few showers to come in western Greece, with a band of rain turning to snow as it passes east through Turkey. Bulgaria and Romania will have showers, some heavy at times.
Windy with some snow through the Baltic States and staying very cold across Finland with dry weather here. Breezy and cold over southern Norway, but fair to the north. cold and dry for most of Denmark and Norway although there could be an odd wintry shower.