FRANKFURT, Oct 8 (Reuters) - European weather over the next few months should be near normal for autumn, with no major wet and windy spells, German meteorologist Georg Mueller said on Monday.
"Some colder spells (are) possible, especially over the continent in later autumn and the first half of winter, but (the weather is) likely (to be) more unsettled and wetter there towards the end of winter," he wrote in a seasonal update for Point Carbon, a Thomson Reuters company.
He confirmed a forecast made a month ago for a generally mild winter over Central Europe, with little chance of extremes. The Nordic region could see some colder and drier episodes, he added.
Temperatures and rain over the next few weeks should be in line with long-term averages.
Weather Services International (WSI) last month predicted a warmer-than-average start to the European winter season.
Providers of power and gas for heating and lighting need to gauge likely weather patterns, which drive consumer demand and utility buying of commodities such as coal and gas.
As Europe nears its peak winter period, the market is particularly vulnerable this year to any sudden shifts in weather and demand, which could create price spikes, because supply is tighter than in recent seasons. Germany has taken a large chunk of nuclear capacity out of operation, and France and Belgium are struggling with aging reactors.
(Reporting by Vera Eckert; editing by Jane Baird)
((vera.eckert@thomsonreuters.com)(+49 69 7565 1228, Reuters Messaging: vera.eckert.reuters.com@reuters.net))
Keywords: EUROPE WEATHER/FORECAST