Summer Weather in Europe

​Visitors to Europe can look forward to a number of exciting events on the continent between June and August of 2012. Packing for Europe’s weather isn’t difficult thanks to extensive climate records and predictions from private weather forecasting services.

Western Europe includes France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland as well as the Low Countries. The typical summertime weather for this region features temperatures ranging from highs in the upper 60s in the north to the low 80s in the south. Heat waves aren’t uncommon in France in particular in July and August. Showers and thunderstorms aren’t uncommon in the area during the summer.

Northern Europe encompasses the British Isles and the Scandinavian countries. The summer climate of the United Kingdom and Ireland features numerous rainy days and moderate daytime temperatures ranging from the upper 50s to the upper 60s. The Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark feature mild summer temperatures from the lower 50s in the northern areas to 70 degrees in the south. Plenty of sunshine is a bonus for visitors to these countries.

The countries of Eastern Europe include Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic and several of the Baltic nations as well as western sections of Russia. Weather here during the summer is generally dry and warm, as it is far away from the influence of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Daytime highs often reach into the upper 70s and even the lower 80s in this region.

Southern Europe has developed a well-earned reputation as a place to see the sun during a European summer vacation. Spain and Portugal, Italy and the southern Balkan nations enjoy warm to hot summers with very little rain and low humidity. Daytime highs during the height of summer can reach well into the 90s.

Weather Services International (WSI) is forecasting a summer of above-normal temperatures in 2012 for all of Europe except for the southeastern areas of the continent. WSI also predicts drier conditions for Northern and Western Europe, with rain suppressed to the south.