Issued: 0530hrs Wednesday 12th April 2017
Duty forecaster: Garry Nicholson

Increasingly warm southern Europe; chilly far north

Wednesday
A dry, sunny and very warm day for Iberia. Temperatures climbing to 30C in Portugal and south-west Spain. Nearer 20C around the Biscay coast and north-eastern Spain. Fair weather for the western Mediterranean and France. A bright day for northern Italy, although thundery showers are likely for southern Italy, and some downpours may also break out for mainland Greece. Rain is also likely for Cyprus. High pressure brings fair weather to the Balkans, Romania and Bulgaria.
The Alps, southern Germany and the Czech Republic will be dry with light winds. Meanwhile, a brisk westerly breeze affects northern-central Europe as low pressure lies across southern Scandinavia. Fronts bring outbreaks of rain to northern Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and the southern Baltic. Showery for southern Norway and Sweden. Largely dry but chilly for northern Sweden and Finland.

Thursday
Staying warm across Iberia, the heat likely becoming more extensive across the region, highs 25 to 30C. Isolated heavy showers may break out inland across Spain by afternoon. Generally warm across southern Europe, widely into the low 20s Celsius from southern France to Italy and the Balkans. Risk of scattered thundery showers for mainland Greece . Thundery rain is likely to affect southern Turkey and Cyprus. Dry around the Black Sea.
High pressure brings a fair day to France. A Mistral wind affects southern France and the western Alps. A cool westerly breeze for the Low Countries and Germany. Showery for north-eastern Europe. A cold front brings some heavy bursts of rain Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia and the eastern Alps. Showers for Norway, whilst much of Sweden stays dry. A cold northerly wind for Finland and the Baltic states.