Issued: 0530hrs Wednesday 4th April 2018
Duty forecaster: Garry Nicholson

Warm and sunny southern Spain & Portugal

Wednesday
An unsettled picture across west and northern Europe. Heavy downpours for France, the Low Countries and Germany, spreading into the western Alps and northern Italy. Some prolonged bursts of rain. Snow over the mountains. Fronts advance north through Scandinavia, bringing snow to central-northern Sweden, later Finland, turning to rain in the south as milder air arrives. Showers for western Norway.
Showery for northern Iberia, but the south of Spain and Portugal will be largely dry, and warm in the east, topping 20C. A few heavy afternoon showers for the Mediterranean islands, but dry for much of southern Italy. Dry and warm weather extends across east & south-eastern Europe, with a waft of southerly air allowing temperatures to reach 18 to 23C in areas from eastern Germany to the Black Sea.

Thursday
A reversal of fortunes across Europe as pressure builds from the west and dry conditions extend from Spain and Portugal into France. Heavy showers for the Alps, and some showers for eastern France, plus the Netherlands and Germany, clearing from the west, leaving a bright day with a fresh breeze, 10 to 13C for north-west Europe.
Showers will break out increasingly for Italy, then Balkan states and into Hungary. Meanwhile, Greece should stay dry, and areas toward the Black Sea remain warm and sunny. Much of eastern Europe reaching 20C. Low pressure will be centred across Scandinavia, producing areas or persistent rain and mountain snow, probably focused on Norway. Showers for Finland and the Baltic states. Windy for southern Norway and Denmark.