Issued: 0530hrs Saturday 6th August 2016
Duty forecaster: Garry Nicholson

Dry weather extends across central Europe

Saturday
Hot and dry across Spain and Portugal, breezy in the north, highs3 0 to 35C on the Costas, but may reach 40C inland across south-western Iberia. Fine across the western Mediterranean, although rather breezy with a Mistral wind for southern France. Warm sunshine extends across France and the Low Countries, 22 to 25C. A few showers possible for Germany and Poland. Northern Italy will be dry and warm although quite breezy. Risk of thunderstorms in southern Italy, Sicily and the southern Balkans. Dry across Greece and the eastern Mediterranean. Hot around the Black Sea, widely 30 to 33C or higher.
Low pressure over Scandinavia brings showery conditions, locally merging into longer periods of rain, particularly in Sweden, whilst brighter skies may develop for Norway as pressure builds from the west. Blustery westerly winds for Denmark. Temperatures 18 to 22C. Overnight thundery rain for the Baltic states affects eastern southern Finland, then clears east into north-west Russia.

Sunday
High pressure extends from Biscay across central Europe, bringing extensive dry and sunny weather, and pleasant summer temperatures. Strong winds in northern Europe, also breezy in parts of Iberia. Heat is confined to the far south & east of Europe.
A continental easterly airflow across Iberia brings hot and dry air to Portugal, and south-western Spain, highs 37 to 40C. Risk of thunderstorms for southern Italy also the southern Balkans, and Romania, although much of Greece will be dry. A northerly breeze for the Greek Islands, with plenty of warm sunshine.
Dry across France, 25C north, 30C south. Dry across the Low Countries, Germany and the Alps, 23 to 26C. Dry weather extends across much of eastern Europe. Breezy for Denmark and southern Scandinavia. Rain will set in for western Norway, whilst Sweden is largely dry. Some rain for Finland, heavy at times.