European markets to plunge as China and Greece worries return

European stock markets are expected to plummet at the open on Friday, as worse-than-expected Chinese economic data and a new election in Greece spook traders.

London's main index the FTSE 100 is called 166 points lower at 6201, Germany's Dax is expected to open 363 points lower at 10069, and France's Cac is set to open 139 points down at 4644.

This follows big falls across Asian stock markets on Friday, after China August PMI data showed that factory activity in the world's second-biggest economy shrank at its fastest pace in more than six years. Japan's Nikkei was down 2 percent and the Shanghai Composite by 3 percent amid concerns about slowing Chinese economic growth.

In Greece, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras resigned on Thursday and called snap elections in September, a move aimed at strengthening his grip on power. After fighting the last election on an anti-austerity platform, and spending much of his first six months in office attempting to reverse some of the changes made in Greece under its international bailout, he was eventually forced to back down in negotiations with the country's creditors in July.

Markets will be watching out for the Markit composite PMIs for August, announced at 9am BST, Europe Friday.