Issued: 0530hrs Saturday 27th August 2016
Duty forecaster: Garry Nicholson

Strong winds and cool in northern Scandinavia

Saturday
A hot day across continental Europe. Many areas will be dry with lots of sunshine in southern areas. Temperatures ranging from 29 to 32C in Germany and Poland, 33 to 37C for France, Italy and much of Iberia, locally 40C in southern Spain. A northerly breeze for Portugal. Light winds across the Mediterranean, although breezy for the Greek Islands.
Scattered thunderstorms are likely across the Alps, mainly Switzerland and western Austria. A slow moving front brings a zone of cloud across northern-central Europe. Risk bursts of rain for the Low Countries. A fair day with pleasant temperatures for Denmark and southern Scandinavia, 22C. Heavy rain for northern parts of Sweden and Finland, clearing through the day. Showery and cool for north-western Norway. Risk of gales around the northern Baltic.

Sunday
Much of central & southern Europe stays dry, with slack pressure across the continent. Remaining hot overall, although temperatures will be lower than recent days in France. Risk of local thunderstorms from eastern Spain to southern France and the western Alps. Breezy for north-western Iberia. Temperatures reaching 35 to 40C inland for southern Spain.
Hot and sunny for Italy, Greece and much of eastern Europe, highs widely 30 to 35C. Hot too across Germany and Poland, 30 to 33C. Breezy and fresher for coastal areas in northern France and the Low Countries. Thundery rain is likely to affect northern Germany, Denmark and southern parts of Norway & Sweden. Dry around the Baltic and across northern Scandinavia. Breezy and cool in the far north.