Europe forecast - February 23, 2018
Heavy rain Italy
Frigid east & north

Issued: 0530hrs Friday 23rd February 2018
Duty forecaster: Garry Nicholson


Dry but cold winds for central Europe


Friday
A fair day for most of Spain and Portugal, highs 16C in the south-west, but nearer 11C in the east of Spain. Showery for the Balearics. Low pressure over the central Mediterranean brings heavy rain to Italy, most prolonged over Sicily and central Italy, with snow over the mountains. Strong winds around the Adriatic. Patchy snow for the southern Alps. A few showers for Greece and Turkey. Rare snow flurries for central-eastern Europe, focused around southern Ukraine, Hungary and Slovakia. Dry but cold across northern-central Europe, with easterly winds across France and Germany. Temperatures staying sub-zero in Poland and around the Baltic. Bitter cold in northern Scandinavia and Russia, maximum -10C during the day. Some snow for northern Norway, and a few flurries around the Baltic too.


Saturday
Spain and Portugal stay largely dry, apart from a few showers in the east. Unsettled for Italy and Greece, with heavy rain, or snow on the mountains. Snow affect the Alps on the French-Italian border, but much of France will be dry with sunshine. High pressure over Scandinavia dominates the weather pattern across northern Europe, producing bitter easterly winds. Highs of 1 or 2C in Germany, but staying below freezing in Poland and the Baltic states, also Ukraine and Belarus. A risk of some snow flurries for Ukraine and Romania. Possible snow for northern Norway and Sweden, but a lot of dry weather influences central-northern Europe with variable cloud and sunshine. Eastern countries generally cloudier.