Issued: 0530hrs Saturday 18th February 2017
Duty forecaster: Garry Nicholson

Heavy rain and mountain snow for the Balkans

Saturday
High pressure extends across central Europe, whilst low pressure is to the north, and slack pressure influences the Mediterranean. Areas of showery rain are likely to break out across north-western Spain and Portugal, whilst much of Iberia stays dry and warm, highs 18C in the south. Fair weather extends across the western Mediterranean, perhaps a few showers for Corsica and Sardinia. A zone of heavy rain affects central-southern Italy and the Balkan states - snow over the mountains. Local showers for Greece , but much of the day should be dry.
Largely dry across central Europe, with sunshine for France and the Low Countries. Partly cloudy for Germany and eastern Europe. Patches of light rain or snow affects areas from the eastern Alps to Ukraine, temperatures around 5 to 8C. A south-westerly breeze affects Scandinavia. Fairly mild and dry for the Baltic region, Denmark and southern Sweden, but wet in western Norway.

Sunday
Areas of heavy rain are likely to drift south across western Iberia overnight into Sunday, leaving a risk of thundery bursts across Andalucia and the Algarve into the daytime. Elsewhere across Spain it should be dry, with plenty of sunshine in the north. High pressure brings dry weather to France, the Alps and Italy, with plenty of sunshine. Heavy rain affects the southern Balkans and mainland Greece, whilst the Greek Islands may see showers. Some rain and mountain snow in southern Romania.
A south-westerly breeze affects northern Europe. A cold front brings showery rain for the Netherlands and northern Germany, which also extends across the southern Baltic, giving some persistent rain and possible gales as low pressure passes east across Finland. Rain continues to affect western Norway. Cold with snow showers for northern Scandinavia.