An icy shock for the continent as Arctic winds charge south.

Cold weather is charging across Eastern Europe as the region prepares for its first Arctic blast after the summer.

The leading edge of the frigid weather is bringing heavy rain with some places braced for some violent thunderstorms.

The most destructive weather is likely to be in Slovenia and northern Italy, where storms could bring flooding, rains, and damaging hail.

As the rain clears, the winds are expected to increase, with the risk they could reach as high as 150 kilometres an hour at times. This is easily enough to pull down trees and powerlines.

The cold weather is forecast to reach as far as southern Greece by Tuesday night, with parts of the Balkans anticipating temperatures 12 Celsius below average.

While the temperatures plunge across Eastern Europe, the western parts of the continent will enjoy some far calmer weather.

In Western Europe, the temperatures will rise, giving a couple of warm sunny days.