Issued: 0530hrs Saturday 28th January 2017
Duty forecaster: Garry Nicholson

Central & south-eastern Europe stays cold

Saturday
High pressure extends across Iberia, bringing a fair day to Portugal and much of Spain, temperatures around 15C in the Algarve. Areas of thundery showers affect the western Mediterranean as low pressure drifts eastwards. Some rain affects north-east Spain, accompanied by strong winds. Showers or some longer spells of rain for southern France and western Italy.
Cloudy across western Europe, although mainly dry. Temperatures 7 to 10C around the Low Countries. Brighter toward the east of the continent, with extensive dry weather under the influence of high pressure. Sunshine for much of Germany and Poland, extending south into the Balkans. It remains bitterly cold across south-eastern Europe, staying below zero for many countries by day, and dipping to -10C or locally much lower overnight. Dry conditions around the Baltic, whilst some rain affects western Norway, snow in the mountains.

Sunday
Fronts move from the Atlantic into northern Portugal & north-western Spain, bringing persistent rain. Elsewhere across Iberia, it remains dry, with some warm sunshine around southern Costas. A few showers will continue for the islands of the western Mediterranean, whilst southern France and much of Italy will be dry. Areas of heavy rain are likely to affect southern Italy, perhaps reaching western mainland Greece . Dry for the Aegean Sea and eastern Med.
High pressure centred over western Russia influences much of central Europe, bringing widespread dry weather. Staying cold in the east, milder toward the west. A good amount of sunshine. Partly cloudy for Germany. Patchy rain for areas around the North Sea. Dry around the Baltic with a south-westerly breeze. Rain and mountain snow affects western Norway.