Issued: 0530hrs Friday 19th April 2024
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling

Unsettled west with rain and showers, brighter and drier in east

Friday
Thunderstorms and heavy showers through Portugal and southern Spain on Friday, especially during the afternoon and evening. Elsewhere mainly dry across the Iberian countries. Some thundery rain across southern Italy and Greece, but mostly dry through SE Europe otherwise. Dry too across central and southern France, with some pleasant spring sunshine expected. Rain through northern France and the Low Countries, especially heavy during the morning although lighter and patchier through the afternoon with the heaviest bursts moving eastwards through western Germany.
Persistent and heavy rain across Austria and Switzerland, with possible thunderstorms through central Europe through the day. Mostly dry and bright through Slovakia and Hungary with some evening showers expected here, with the same for Poland.
A weakening line of showers moves eastwards towards the west coast of Norway, with a low pressure system pushing northwards across Northwest Russia and eastern parts of Finland bringing some rain here. Some showers across Denmark associated with a low moving through Germany, but mostly dry through Sweden.

Saturday
Showers continue through southern Spain and Portugal later on Saturday after a sunny start, with thunderstorms possible once more. Low pressure sits across central Italy bringing some rain and showers here through the day, affecting Croatia and Montenegro with much of the rest of SE Europe largely dry.
Low pressure over Italy will generate showers or thunderstorms across eastern France with thundery showers through Austria and Switzerland too. Largely dry with sunny spells for western and southern France. Scattered showers across Slovakia, Hungary and western Poland, with sunny spells inbetween.
A few showers across Norway especially in the west, with much of the rest of Scandinavia dry. Some rain continues across eastern parts of Finland as low pressure remains slow moving across northwestern Russia.