Issued: 0530hrs Saturday 3rd January 2015
Duty forecaster: Garry Nicholson

Winter sunshine in Spain and Portugal


Saturday
Staying dry with sunshine for Spain and Portugal. Fair too across the western and central Mediterranean, with some sunshine for Italy, before clouds tend to thicken. Variable cloud for the Adriatic region and Greece. Thundery showers continue to affect Cyprus. Much of Turkey will be dry, but there may be a few showers in the south, and later a little patchy rain for the Black Sea coast. Southern France is dry, but rain will affect northern France as another frontal system spreads from the west, extending into Belgium and Germany. Rain and snow moves into the Alpine region later on Saturday, with a further fall of heavy snow on the way for Switzerland, Austria and the German Alps. Snow also arrives in the Czech Republic. Showery for northern Germany, Poland and Denmark, feeling cool in a north-westerly breeze. Windy and cold across Scandinavia, with frequent snow showers in north-west Norway, although Sweden will be largely dry. Windy with snow showers too for Finland.

Sunday
Southern Spain and Portugal will be sunny and pleasantly warm on Sunday. A weak front brings more cloud to the Biscay coast. Windy in southern France and the western Mediterranean. A few showers across Italy and it will feel cooler. Snow showers for the Balkan states, whilst cool and unsettled conditions also extend into Greece. Snow is also expected to affect Romania and Bulgaria, and northern parts of Turkey. Southern Turkey and Cyprus are brighter with some sun. High pressure builds across France, with a dry and sunny day for northern areas. Fair weather too for Belgium and the Netherlands, although feeling chilly. A cold wind and scattered wintry showers for Germany. Windy and cold too for most of eastern Europe and Scandinavia, with snow showers, heaviest and most frequent in north-west Norway.