Issued: 0530hrs Friday 11th November 2016
Duty forecaster: Garry Nicholson

Cold Scandinavia & northern-central Europe

Friday
A cool pattern for central, east & northern Europe. High pressure extends across Iberia and north-western Europe, also southern Scandinavia bringing plenty of dry weather. Fair and warm for Spain and Portugal, up to 20C in the south. Cloud and patchy rain reaches the far north-west of Iberia later. A few showers around the Biscay coasts.
Low pressure centred across Italy brings areas of heavy showers and thunderstorms, whilst fronts associated with this system bring snowfall to the Alps for much of the day. Heavy rain increasingly affects the Balkans. Dry for Greece and much of eastern Europe. Temperatures nearing 20C around the Aegean Sea and eastern Mediterranean.
Becoming dry for most of France with some sunshine, highs 8 to 14C, warmest west. Sunny spells for the Low Countries, northern Germany and Poland, although chilly at 2 to 6C. Some snow and rain for southern Germany and the Czech Republic. A few snow showers in western Norway. Dry elsewhere across Scandinavia - temperatures remaining near or below freezing.

Saturday
Dry, sunny and warm for southern Spain and Portugal, highs 20C. Thickening cloud for northern Iberia, and a front across Biscay will bring rain onto the coasts later. This band of persistent rain also spreads across north-western France during the day, but south-eastern France and the western Alps should stay dry throughout. A brighter day for Italy as low pressure clears eastwards.
Areas of heavy rain and thunderstorms will affect south-eastern Europe, extending from Romania and Slovakia to the Balkans and mainland Greece . Largely dry and warm for the Greek Islands but the breeze will freshen. Snow is expected for the Czech Republic, eastern Austria and southern Poland. Meanwhile, northern Poland, Germany and Denmark will see a fine day under the influence of high pressure, but cold at 1 to 5C. A freshening breeze across the Low Countries ahead of rain arriving later. Much of Scandinavia will be dry and cold, temperatures staying sub-zero. A few showers in western Norway.