A Ukrainian government official has revealed that rockets could be fired to break up rainclouds if wet weather threatens to affect matches during Euro 2012.

The official, who declined to be named, said steps were being taken to get the rockets ready. The move comes despite forecasters predicting good weather for at least the first two games to be played in the country.

"Our [missile] batteries are being prepared for dispersing rain clouds," the official said.

But Anatoly Prokopenko, the  deputy head of the Ukrainian State Weather Forecast Centre, told Reuters: “We expect there will be no rain in Ukraine on June 9. The temperature is likely to be between 20 and 24 degrees Celsius [68 to 75 Fahrenheit].”