Issued: 0530hrs Friday 17th August 2012
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling

Fine and hot weather for much of central and southern Europe

Friday
Hot conditions across Spain and Portugal on Friday. There will be lots of sunshine, but the chance of a thunderstorm breaking out inland. Fair conditions across France with lots of sunshine to come here and feeling very warm too. The chance of some showers in eastern parts of Germany, but hot and sunny to the west. Plenty of warm sunshine in Poland with some showers in the far west. Thundery showers affecting Switzerland, Hungary and Austria.
Plenty of sunshine and warm weather for Italy. Greece is going to be fine and sunny as well, feeling hot in that sunshine. The weather stays sunny through Turkey and feeling hot here. Fine with plenty of sunshine and dry weather in Romania and Bulgaria.
Scattered showers across Denmark but sunny spells as well. Cloud and rain over southern Norway, some showers developing to the north. Cloud and some rain in southern Sweden, but lots of sunshine for most of the country. Warm and sunny through the Baltic States and Finland.

Saturday
Hot and mainly sunny across Spain and Portugal. There will be further sunshine across the Balearics and Italy too. More sunshine and hot conditions to come through Greece and Turkey, this extending into Bulgaria and Romania.
More sunshine and hot weather through France. The Low Countries, Switzerland and Austria will be staying fine and hot too. More dry weather and sunshine in Germany and Poland as well as Hungary and Austria.
Some showers for the UK. Cloud and some rain in southern Norway with hazy sunshine and warmth through Denmark. The Baltic States will be dry too with more sunshine here. Finland will be dry and sunny, although some high cloud streams into southern Sweden.