Issued: 0530hrs Thursday 24th March 2011
Duty forecaster: John Ejdowski

Colder and wintry across Scandinavia, Russia

Today
Dry across Portugal with sunny spells and fine in southern Spain but outbreaks of rain will affect eastern Spain. Mainly dry but cloudy across the Balearics. Lots of fine, spring sunshine to be had across France into England, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Germany, Poland and Hungry. Outbreaks of snow will fall across parts of Norway and Sweden with snow showers across Finland and heavy snow across Russia. Rain is expected across the Baltic States into Belarus and the Ukraine. Fine and sunny across Romania, the former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey. Lots of sunshine as well today across Italy. Dry and sunny across Switzerland and Austria.

Friday
Fair and dry across England today. Mostly sunny and dry across France, the Low Countries across into Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Colder across Scandinavia today with snow showers for northern parts of Norway and Sweden, dry and sunny in the south. Some rain to come for Denmark with a dry, sunny day across Finland. Heavy snow showers will affect The Baltic States and Russia today while rain falls cross Poland. Rain, sleet and snow showers are forecast across Belarus and the Ukraine. Lots of dry, sunny weather to come across the former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Turkey and across into Italy. Scattered showers are expected across Portugal and western Spain, fair and dry across eastern Spain into the Balearics, Corsica and Sardinia.