Issued: 0530hrs Thursday 14th July 2011
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling

Strong winds and heavy rain across northern Europe, but fine and sunny through the Mediterranean

Thursday
Mostly a dry day across England today. A few showers will affect central parts of France with much of the country dry and warm. An area oh heavy rain is expected across Belgium, Holland into Denmark, northern parts of Germany into southern parts of Sweden and across into the Baltic Sea brushing northern Poland and western coasts of the Baltic States.
Much of Germany, Poland and the Baltic States looks dry. Dry too across Belarus, much of Finland, Russia and the Ukraine with lots of hot sunshine.
The weather remains sunny and hot across the former Yugoslavia, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey and across into Italy. Sunny and hot as well across Portugal and Spain with some heavy showers expected across Switzerland and Austria.

Friday
A fine day throughout the Mediterranean. There will be lots of hot sunshine through Portugal and Spain, this extending through Italy and into Greece as well as Turkey. It should remain fine ad dry into Bulgaria and Romania too.
A fair day to come over France with sunny spells here. It should stay fair for the Low Countries and much of Germany, although there will be cloud and some showers in the east, these extending into Poland where it will be windy too.
Low pressure brings cloud and strong winds over Denmark, southern Sweden as well as southern Norway. There will be rain here, some of it heavy at times. A few showers in the Baltic States with some cloud and outbreaks of rain across Finland. Northern Norway as well as the rest of Sweden should be fair.