Issued: 0530hrs Wednesday 4th January 2017
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling

Cold in Greece, Turkey and Italy with a risk of snow


Wednesday
A bright day across Spain and Portugal, small risk of a shower in the far west. Up to 18C in the Algarve. Showery across the central & eastern Mediterranean, but much of mainland Italy and Greece should stay dry. Areas from the Balkans to the Black Sea should also see a fine day.
Dry for much of France, but staying windy in the south-east. Strong northerly winds bring wintry showers to Germany and the Netherlands. A band of more persistent rain and snow is likely to pass south across Germany in the early hours. Snow will extend into Switzerland and Austria into the daytime, most persistent in the northern Alps. Areas of frequent snow showers for eastern Europe. Gale force north-easterly winds around the Baltic. Risk of frequent snow for south-eastern Sweden. Dry but very cold elsewhere across Scandinavia.

Thursday
Fair for Portugal with lots of sunshine. Dry over Spain with more sunshine to come here too. A few showers affecting the Balearics. Italy is likely to be more unsettled with cold winds and rain in central and southern areas but drier to the north. Wet in Greece with some heavy rain, snow over the mountains. Wet for southern Turkey whilst snow affects the north.
France will be foggy in northern areas, but to the south it wil be chilly and dry with sunny spells. Fog may trouble the Low Countries and northwest Germany although the east and south should be brighter but cold. Breezy in Poland with snow showers here and these extending into Hungary and Austria as well as eastern Switzerland.
Denmark and southern Norway should be dry with variable cloud. Colder for the baltic States where there will be snow showers as well as a strong northeast wind. Chilly in Finland too as well as eastern Sweden. Western Norway will be windy and wet as well as being milder.