Issued: 0530hrs Thursday 8th January 2015
Duty forecaster: Garry Nicholson
Fair weather across the Mediterranean
Thursday
High pressure across Iberia brings a dry and sunny day to most of Spain and Portugal, although a front in the Bay of Biscay may bring more cloud and a little patchy rain to the north coast. Fair weather also extends across southern France, Italy and the Mediterranean, with plenty of sunshine and just very isolated showers. Likewise, the Adriatic region and Greece will see dry and sunny conditions. A scattering of showers for Turkey and Cyprus, along with locally strong winds. Fronts bring heavy rain to northern France, Belgium and the Low Countries, and spreads further across northern Germany through the day. The Alpine states are largely dry, with some sun for Switzerland and Austria, but clouding over and a risk of patchy rain and snow developing later. A windy day for Poland, with drizzly rain spreading from the west. Unsettled too for Scandinavia, as fronts spread eastwards, bringing rain and snow along with gusty winds. Cold with snow developing for Finland and western Russia.
Friday
High pressure continues to provide settled conditions for Spain and Portugal on Friday, with plenty of sunshine. Sunny too for the western and central Mediterranean, including Italy and the Adriatic. Greece and Turkey are also fine and sunny. Central and northern Europe will be windy and unsettled as a series of Atlantic storm systems move quickly eastwards. Rain will come and go for northern France, although the south remains dry. Windy with frequent rain for Belgium, Germany and the Czech Republic. Windy, but often dry for Switzerland and Austria. Gales and squally showers for Denmark. Low pressure centred over the Baltic maintains unsettled conditions for Scandinavia, with snow showers, although lighter winds. Away from the showers, there will be sunshine for central areas of Norway and Sweden. Snow affects Finland and Russia. Eastern Europe is also windy, with snow, although milder air spreads eastwards later, turning most precipitation to rain for Poland.