Issued: 0530hrs Wednesday 2nd March 2011
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling

Cold for much of central and western Europe, rain in the central Mediterranean

Wednesday
A cloudy but dry day across England, northern France, Belgium and Holland. Cloudy across southern France with some light sleety rain. Cold and sunnier today for Denmark, Germany and Poland.
Very cold with long sunny spells across Norway and Sweden with outbreaks of snow clearing Finland. Snow will fall across Russia into the Baltic States and may be heavier across the former Yugoslavia while rain is likely across Bulgaria.
A few showers to come around the coasts of Greece today but a dry day across Turkey. Plenty of showers again today across the Balearics into Sardinia with more rain, sleet and snow for Italy. Chilly again across Spain but mainly dry with sunny spells, best in the south.

Thursday
High pressure across the British Isles will be brings a cold, northeasterly flow across much of central and southwestern parts of Europe. This brings cold, but largely dry weather to much of France, the Low Countries and Germany, and fairly breezy in the northern parts of these areas too. Cold weather extends through Spain and Portugal, although there will be good spells of sunshine for the west of Portugal and southern Spain.
Plenty of dry weather across Norway. Denmark and Sweden, although a few snow showers through central areas. breezier for Finland with some more persistent snow to come here and stronger winds too. The Baltic States will be cold but dry with some sunny spells.
To the south low pressure west of Italy brings lots of cloud here with periods of rain. This rain affecting Corsica and Sardinia as well. Greece and Turkey should be dry with some sunny spells. Dry and cold but with hazy sunshine to come through Bulgaria and Romania.