Issued: 0530hrs Thursday 17th March 2011
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling
Unsettled with periods of rain across central and southern Europe
Thursday
A ridge of high pressure brings a fair day to much of Portugal and the west of Spain. Eastern parts of Spain and the Balearics will be showery and cold. Chilly across France too with a mix of sunshine and showers, most of them in the east. There will be showers across the Low Countries with cloud and rain for much of Germany and Poland, where it will be windy too. To the south low pressure will be bringing unsettled weather throughout Austria, Hungary and Switzerland with rain or heavy showers here.
Italy is under low pressure too with more changeable weather here. There will be sunshine and heavy showers, with cloud increasing to the west bringing more persistent rain here. More cloud and rain affecting the west of Greece. Turkey will be dry with plenty of sunshine. Bulgaria and Romania experience cloud and rain through the day.
To the north high pressure is centred over Finland bringing fine weather here and dry conditions. A breezy and chilly day for Finland where it should be dry with some sunny spells. More sunshine to come through much of Sweden and Norway, although cloud and rain affecting Denmark and southern Sweden.
Friday
High pressure for Spain and Portugal again today, bringing plenty of sunshine and dry conditions here, although it will be cold, especially in the east. Cloud and a few showers along northern coasts of France, but for most of the country it should be dry with sunny spells. More cloud for the Low Countries and northern Germany bringing some rain here. A few showers across Germany and Poland as well as Switzerland and Austria where there will be sunny spells too.
Low pressure through Italy brings sunny spells, although there will be showers across central and southern areas, some of them heavy at times. Fair through Greece with sunny spells. An area of cloud and outbreaks of showery rain will be moving into Greece and affecting Bulgaria and Romania too.
High pressure to the north brings dry weather across the Baltic States, although windy here. Dry and cold for Finland too with some sunny spells. More cloud and some outbreaks of rain for eastern parts of Sweden, although cloud and some showers affect Denmark and Norway.