Issued: 0530hrs Wednesday 3rd August 2016
Duty forecaster: Garry Nicholson

Some thunderstorms east; unsettled northern Europe

Wednesday
Low pressure brings unsettled conditions to northern Europe, whilst mainly fair weather extends across southern regions. Hot and dry again across Spain, whilst a northerly breeze continues for Portugal; highs 30 to 35C for much of Iberia, but locally 40C inland.
Hot and dry for southern France, Italy and Greece , with temperatures widely reaching 32 to 35C. Chance of an afternoon thunderstorm in the southern Balkans. Largely dry across the Alps and central-eastern Europe, temperatures 25C in the Czech Republic, and 29 or 30C in Hungary. A few thunderstorms possible in Romania and Ukraine.
Much of France will be dry, but fronts toward the north brings rain to English Channel coasts. Some persistent rain also extends across Belgium, the Netherlands and northern Germany. Breezy around North Sea coasts. Fronts bring some heavy rain to Denmark and southern areas of Norway and Sweden. Showery in northern Scandinavia. Temperatures 19 to 22C for much of northern Europe.

Thursday
Low pressure remains across northern Europe, and fronts will extend further south across France, whilst slack high pressure influences the south & east of the continent.
Breezy in Portugal, as northerly winds continue. Hot and dry again across Spain, although risk of showers breaking out in the north as a cold front drifts close to the Biscay coast. Heavy possibly thundery rain is likely to develop across France from the west, thunderstorms breaking out increasingly toward Alpine areas later. Staying hot in southern France, fresher with showers in the north. Italy, the Balkans and areas toward the Black Sea will be hot and dry with plenty of sunshine.
Breezy across northern-central Europe. Occasional showers for the Low Countries, and some outbreaks of rain for northern Germany, although mainly dry toward the south and the Czech Republic. Some rain in Poland and Baltic areas. Showery for much of Scandinavia, but sunny spells too, temperatures 18 to 23C, warmest southern Sweden.