Issued: 0530hrs Tuesday 16th January 2018
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling

Wind and rain in central and northern Europe, drier to the far south


Tuesday
Chilly westerly winds extend into central Europe as fronts move eastwards. Areas of persistent rain or frequent showers. Heavy falls of snow for the west & northern Alps. Showers turning wintry for the Low Countries, northern Germany and Denmark, with hail and possible thunder. Heavy showers too for northern France. Eastern Europe stays cold, with some snow for Poland and Slovakia. Persistent snow for central Sweden. Snow showers for Norway. Windy around the Baltic. Finland should stay dry but cold.
Gusty winds for the western Mediterranean. A few showers for southern Italy and the Balkans, also western Greece , although the Greek Islands should stay dry, highs 15C. High pressure over the Atlantic influences Iberia, bringing dry weather. 15 to 18C in southern Spain and Portugal, perhaps locally warmer on eastern Costas.

Wednesday
Fair for most of Spain and Portugal today, although there will be cloud in more northern areas of Spain. Sunny spells in the Balearics. Windy across Corsica and Sardinia with sunny spells and scattered showers in Italy. Greece is more unsettled with wind and rain, especially in the north where there will be snow on hills. Turkey will become increasingly windy with rain in the far west.
Windy in central and northern France with rain here. Scattered showers to the south of France. Breezy in the Low Countries and Germany with sunny spells and scattered showers here. Further scattered showers across Poland with cloud, rain and wind in Austria, Hungary and Switzerland.
Sunshine and scattered showers in Denmark. Heavy showers affecting the Baltic States with cloud and rain or sleet in Finland. Heavier showers for Sweden. Norway will have showers in the west although drier in the east.