Issued: 0530hrs Thursday 25th January 2018
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling

Rain in central and western Europe, drier and brighter in the east


Thursday
On Thursday and the distinct north and south divide in conditions will continue across most of Europe. Low pressure will maintain unsettled weather across the British Isles and much of Scandinavia including, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland with rain and showers, but also with some significant snow at altitude.
In contrast high pressure maintains fine weather through the Med, especially across Italy. Low pressure is still likely to bring some showery conditions to Greece and it will be cold here in association with east or north-easterly wind. A weather front is likely to introduce cool and showery conditions across France and parts of Spain and Portugal through the day.

Friday
Cloud and rain over northern Spain with some more persistent rain in eastern parts of Spain Central and southern areas should be drier with some sunny spells. Rain in the Balearics, Corsica and Sardinia with showers in northern Italy. Southern Italy will be brighter and dry. Greece will be dry with good spells of sunshine. Western Turkey will be bright with some sunshine, but cold and some rain or showers in the east.
Cloud and some rain or showers in central and southern areas whilst the north will be brighter with sunny spells. A scattering of showers in the Low Countries and western parts of Germany. Eastern and southern Germany as well as western Poland will have cloud and rain. Hungary will be dry and bright, but some cloud and rain across Austria and Switzerland.
Denmark will be dry and bright with sunny spells. Cloud and rain affecting the Baltic States, although drier and brighter weather arriving in parts of Finland. Sweden will be dry and bright with sunny spells. Wintry showers in western and northern Norway.