Issued: 0530hrs Thursday 29th December 2011
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling

Rain through northern Europe and strong winds too, but fair through Spain

Thursday
Strong gales are expected across most of northern Europe and Scandinavia today. Rain will fall across Britain with a dry day expected across France, Belgium, Holland and northern Germany. Snow is expected across the south of Germany and across the Alps into Switzerland and Austria.
Rain showers will affect Denmark with snow showers for western Norway but dry and sunny across eastern parts of Norway and Sweden. Heavy snow will affect northern Finland with rain in the south. Some rain as well across the Baltic States with a dry, mostly sunny day across Poland, Belarus, The Ukraine into Romania and the former Yugoslavia.
Dry as well across Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey. The far south of Italy my catch a few showers with most of Italy fine and dry. A rash of heavy showers will few found across the central Mediterranean with sunny weather across Portugal and Spain.

Friday
Good spells of sunshine across Portugal and Spain today. There will be cloud and rain affecting western and northern parts of France with the winds increasing here. More cloud and some spots of rain through the Low Countries and into Germany and Poland.
Sunny spells and scattered showers over Italy. More cloud and showers for Greece and southern Turkey, some of the showers heavy at times. Cloud and some spots of rain over Romania and Bulgaria.
Low pressure over Finland bringing cloud and outbreaks of rain. Breezy with cloud and rain through Finland and the Baltic States. Cold with some wintry showers across Norway and Denmark as well as Sweden.