Valentia Observatory, Ireland

Weather Underground Forecast for Thursday, May 23, 2013.

A low pressure system in the Baltic Sea will maintain wet weather in parts of northern and western Europe on Wednesday, while a second area of low pressure moves into the southeast with unsettled weather.

In the north, a low in the Kattegat Strait low will shift northwestward into the North Sea, ushering ample moisture and a cold front into Norway and southern Sweden. This will translate into areas of light showers to areas of moderate rain through the day. As this system shifts into the North Sea, it will tighten the pressure gradient across the British Isles, leading to increased northerly flow across the region and chances of light to moderate scattered showers primarily in the United Kingdom. In addition to precipitation, expect a modest cooling as a colder airmass moves into the region. Elsewhere in the north, a warm front extending from western Russia through the Baltic States and into the Baltic Sea will gradually lift northward with generally light precipitation through the day.

To the south, a trough of low pressure and weakening cold front will move into France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany with sufficient onshore flow. This will translate into widely scattered showers, with moderate rain and possible thunderstorm activity as energy spreads into the Alps. Meanwhile, to the east, a low pressure system in the Adriatic Sea will lift northeastward into the Ukraine by Thursday night. The system will draw plenty of moisture inland as it progresses, kicking up areas of widespread rain with isolated areas f locally heavy rain.