Issued: 0530hrs Friday 5th August 2016
Duty forecaster: Garry Nicholson

Thundery rain moving north-east

Friday
Overnight rain and thunderstorms in Alpine areas, southern Germany and northern Italy will soon advance east & north-east into Austria, the Czech Republic and also Poland on Friday morning. Heavy rain will persist across northern Italy much of the day, breaking up later from the west. Strong mistral winds for southern France and the Alps.
High pressure will extend from the Azores into Biscay, producing a north-easterly breeze across northern Iberia. A hot day for south-western Spain and Portugal, highs 30 to 35C on the Costas, or 35 to 40C inland. Dry overall for Iberia and much of the Mediterranean. Dry much of the day across France, warm in the south, fresher in the north, and plenty of sunshine is likely across the country, although residual rain may affect Alpine areas. Sunshine and showers for the Low Countries and Germany, temperatures 22 to 24C.
Plenty of hot sunshine for Greece and south-eastern Europe as a whole as high pressure influences the region, temperatures widely into the mid-30s Celsius.
Low pressure over Scandinavia brings showers or longer periods of rain to Norway and Sweden, although northern areas may be brighter. Showers too for Finland. Heavy rain spreads from the south-west into the Baltic states by afternoon.

Saturday
High pressure builds eastwards across western Europe, bringing plenty of dry weather and warm temperatures. Heat is mainly confined to southern Europe, and areas around the Black Sea.
Hot and dry again across Spain and Portugal, breezy in the north. Fine across the western Mediterranean, breezy, although the mistral wind not as strong as Saturday in southern France. Warm sunshine extends across France, the Low Countries. 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 locally in the Balkans. Dry across Greece and the eastern Mediterranean.
Low pressure remains across Scandinavia, bringing showery conditions, locally merging into longer period of rain, particularly in Sweden, whilst brighter skies may develop for Norway as pressure builds from the west. Blustery westerly winds for Denmark. Showers for Finland. Overnight thundery rain for the Baltic states may clip southern Finland, then clears east into north-west Russia.