Issued: 0530hrs Saturday 31st December 2011
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling
Cloud, rain and strong winds over northern Europe but fair to the south
New Year's Eve
A fair day through Portugal and Spain with good spells of sunshine to come here. Cloud and some rain affects the northwest of Italy with more rain and heavy showers troubling southeastern parts of the Mediterranean through Greece and Turkey.
An area of cloud and rain will be spreading through France and the Low Countries, eventually reaching Germany. Poland is going to be brighter with some sunny spells, and this sunshine will be affecting Hungary and Austria too after fog has cleared.
To the north the Baltic States will have some snow showers, and these will be affecting Finland too. For Sweden the day will be dry with some sunshine in the south, whilst cloud and rain arrive in western Sweden.
New Year's Day
Cloud and some showers over northern Spain to start 2012. To the south it is going to be brighter with sunny spells. More sunshine in the Balearics and Italy. Greece should be fair with more sunshine to come. More unsettled in Turkey and Cyprus with showers and rain here, some heavy.
Central parts of Europe are going to become more unsettled. There will be a stronger wind and periods of rain, the heaviest and most persistent towards the north through the Low Countries, northern Germany and the north of Poland.
Cloud and some rain through Norway, this affecting Denmark too. Breezy through Sweden with some cloud and rain to the south, but drier in the north. The Baltic States should be dry overall. Finland is going to be dry too.