Issued: 0530hrs Wednesday 21st September 2016
Duty forecaster: Garry Nicholson

Hot southern Iberia, also south-west France

Wednesday
High pressure centred over Scandinavia brings plenty of dry weather to central-northern Europe, whilst slack pressure influences southern areas. Dry and warm weather continues for Spain and Portugal, temperatures 28 to 32C, warmest around Andalucia & the Algarve. Warm too for southern France, topping 25C. Widespread thunderstorms are likely to break out across Italy. Showery and fairly cool for Greece. A few showers for Romania and Bulgaria.
Dry for most of France, risk of a shower in the far north-west. Some showers also possible for the western Alps, but dry for Austria, the Czech Republic and Hungary. Dry too for Germany and the Low Countries, highs 19 to 22C. Cooler in eastern Europe, but fairly warm across Scandinavia. 16 to 19C in southern Norway & Sweden, but nearer 13 to 15C in Finland.

Thursday
Hot and dry again in southern Spain and Portugal, temperatures over 30C. Small risk of a local shower near some southern Costas and toward the Pyrenees. Nearer 20 to 25C in northern Spain. Dry across the Mediterranean. Scattered showers for Italy, but a brighter day overall for much of the country. Thunderstorms more widespread for Greece .
Much of central & northern Europe will be dry, temperatures 20 to 23C, in northern France, the Low Countries & Germany, but up to 27 to 30C in south-west France. Dry across the Alps. Drizzly rain for eastern Poland and Ukraine. Rain edges into Norway from the west, but most of Scandinavia stays dry under the influence of high pressure, 18C in southern Sweden and Denmark. Low pressure over western Russia brings cool and wet weather.