Issued: 0530hrs Friday 15th December 2023
Duty forecaster: Filotas Paschos

Heavy weather across southern Balkans with strong winds, rain, and snow. More settled elsewhere.

Friday
Anticyclone gradually centered over France and extends through much of western and Central Europe bringing settled and dry condition for most countries. In more detail, Portugal and Spain will see a sunny day with light winds. France a rather cloudy day but dry with some fog developing in places overnight. As for the UK it will much more windy, with cloud, best of sunshine over England. Northwest Scotland will see some heavy and persistent rain. Low Countries and Germany will see rather cloudy and chilly day. While further south and east, there is a risk for a few snow showers in Poland, Austria, Czechia, Hungary, Belarus, Ukraine and the Baltic States.
Norway will have some persistent and heavy rain at times and snow over higher ground, this mostly in west, while Sweden and Denmark will see a cold, and rather cloudy but dry day, and same for Finland.
Across the Mediterranean, a developing low pressure system will bring unsettled weather conditions for Italy, southern Balkans and Turkey with some colder conditions developing too, with outbreaks of rain this heavy in places, and hill snow. Further west the Balearics, Sardinia and Corsica will have mostly dry conditions but breezy.

Saturday
Anticyclonic conditions remain in place for much of the continent. In more detail, Portugal, Spain and France will start with some fog in places, but sunny spells later. Fog will soon return in the evening. The British Isles will see a windy day with gales in western exposure, and with heavy persistent rain for west Scotland. Germany and the Low Countries will see windy and cloudy conditions but mostly dry, while winds will be lighter across Austria, Hungary, Czechia and much of the northern Balkans. Some outbreaks of rain over Poland and the Baltic States as well as Belarus an Ukraine, but this mostly light.
Further heavy rain for west Norway with snow over higher ground, but Sweden, Denmark and Finland will be mostly dry.
A cold and wet day across southern Balkans and parts of Turkey with some snow even down to very low level, along with strong to gale force winds in places. Italy, Corsica, Sardinia and the Balearics drier with sunny spells, but with strong winds at times.