Issued: 0530hrs Thursday 13th January 2011
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling
A fair day for much of central and southern Europe, but some rain in the north
Thursday
Fine with plenty of sunshine across Portugal and Spain today. The sunshine extends through France, the best of it to the south. Cloud and a risk of some spots of drizzle for the Low Countries, with rain affecting the north and east of Germany as well as southern Poland. For Hungary and Austria as well as Switzerland there will be fair weather with good spells of sunshine and it should feel warm too.
Italy will be having a fine day through Thursday with plenty of sunshine throughout. Some dry and sunny weather in western Greece, but showers to the east. More showers across Crete and Cyprus as well as western Turkey, with most of the rest of Turkey dry with sunny spells. Generally dry across Bulgaria and Romania.
Low pressure across western Russ brings unsettled weather here with cloud and strong winds. There will be snow, clearing east and being replaced by snow showers. A fair day across Sweden with some sunny spells, which cloud and some showers affect Denmark and western Sweden.
Friday
Fair and sunny across Portugal and Spain again today with lots of sunshine. It will be remaining fine across most of France too, although some morning mist here. An area of cloud and some showers affecting the far northwest of the country. More cloud and some showery rain affecting the Low Countries, and this area of rain affects northern Germany too. The cloud and rain extending into Poland. Austria, Hungary and Poland will have sunny spells and drier conditions with sunny spells.
Italy should have a fair day as high pressure builds with lots of sunshine here throughout the day. More sunshine to come across Greece and Crete, with the sunshine remaining across Cyprus and Turkey. Bulgaria and Romania has cloud and some periods of rain and sleet.
Fair across the Baltic States where it is going to be dry. Cold with some isolated snow showers for Finland. More fair weather for most of Sweden although some snow in the far south. More cloud, sleet and snow over Denmark and the south of Sweden, although fair for central and northern parts of Sweden.