Issued: 0530hrs Thursday 4th January 2024
Duty forecaster: Filotas Paschos

Outbreaks of rain or snow away from Mediterranean on Thursday. High pressure in west on Friday.

Thursday
A rather cloudy day over Portugal and Spain with outbreaks of rain, this locally heavy. A dry bright start in France, but soon rain and strong winds arrives in north. Showery over the British Isles with a longer spell of rain possible in south later. Cloudy with some rain over the Low Countries, Germany and Poland (snow for the northern parts), while it will be colder over Scandinavia with with rain turning into snow across Denmark and southern Sweden. Outbreaks of snow over the Baltic States too as well as Belarus and northern Ukraine.
Austria, Czechia, Hungary, and across most of the Balkan it will be a rather cloudy day with outbreaks of rain, but most rain will clear in the evening with dry condition prevailing..
Rather cloudy over the Mediterranean, especially in west where some light rain is possible over the Balearics, Sardinia and Corsica. Italy, Malta and Greece will see a bright day with good sunny spells. Cloudier over Turkey but most dry. Some showers over Cyprus.

Friday
Iberian Peninsula will see a rather cloudy start to the day with some rain, but this will clear later in the afternoon. Same for France as high pressure will push from the west, with dry conditions prevailing in the evening. Across the British Isles the day starts showery, but most showers will tend to ease away and become confined in far east in the evening. Unsettled weather for the Low Countries with a period of heavy rain and strong winds. This system will give some rain or snow over north Germany and Poland, elsewhere across these counties it will be dry. Mostly dry and cold over Scandinavia, and remaining snow over the Baltic States will gradually clear to the east.
Central Europe and more especially Switzerland, Austria, and Hungary will see a cloudy day with outbreaks of rain, this turning to snow over parts of Switzerland and Austria. Mostly dry over the Balkans with sunny spells.
West Mediterranean will see a developing low pressure system that will bring heavy rain and strong winds especially over the Balearics, Sardinia and Corsica as well as Italy. It will remain mostly cloudy but rather cloudy over Greece with strengthening winds. Cyprus and Turkey more settled with thickening cloud.