After a cold, bright and, in places, frosty start - showers across Ireland spreading across east across all parts through the day, falling as snow over hills in the north and west. Remaining unsettled for rest of the week, risk of frost in the north.
Monday saw everything but the kitchen sink from the weather, with heavy showers bringing hail, thunder, localised flooding, strong wind gusts and even some snow to remind us it’s still winter, despite some places enjoying some spring-like sunshine between the showers.
It’s been a much colder night than recent nights thanks to the polar airstream. So, with widespread clear skies overnight temperatures have fallen close to freezing and as low as -6C across the northern Highlands of Scotland – which means there is a risk of ice on untreated wet surfaces following yesterday’s showers to watch out for on that walk, cycle or drive this morning.
For many it’s a mostly dry and bright but cold start, though there are a few wintry showers to start across western Scotland, north Wales and also filtering through from Liverpool and Manchester area to the North Midlands, falling as snow over high ground. Enjoy the sunshine while it lasts, because there is a swathe of showers or longer spells of rain already gathering across the EIRE and N. Ireland this morning, which will move east across the Irish sea to affect SW Scotland, NW England, Wales, Midlands and SW England through the morning, falling as snow over the hills. The showers then spreading further east across eastern England during the afternoon after the bright start. Showers will be locally heavy, perhaps with isolated thunder – merging into longer spells of rain across northern England, as an area of low pressure drops in from the northwest. It will turn increasingly windy too across the west, as this low moves southeast, with gales developing across N. Ireland, Irish Sea coasts of Wales and NW England, turning windy too across southern areas from the afternoon.
A chilly day, made to feel colder by the strengthening westerly or northwesterly wind, though temperatures actually close to average for the time of year – reaching 6-9C generally, though falling in any showers.
Area of low pressure moving southeast across northern England this evening will clear out into the North Sea, taking most of the showers, longer spells of rain, sleet and hill snow with it, leaving clearing skies behind and allowing a widespread frost to form. Although most will be dry by the end of the night, there will be a risk of icy patches forming on untreated wet surfaces following today’s showers. Wintry showers will continue through the night across northern Scotland too, bringing some snowfall accumulations over higher ground.
So, a cold and frosty start for many on Wednesday. Then after a mostly dry and sunny morning away from the continuing wintry showers over northern Scotland, a frontal wave moving east will spread cloud and rain across southern counties of England and Wales during the afternoon and eventually central areas by the evening. Northern England northwards seeing sunny spells, though some showers for NW England and northern Scotland – which will be wintry over higher ground. Milder with double figures returning across the far south, with 10-11C, but generally on the cool side with temperatures reaching 6-9C.
A strong jet stream is still in control of our weather towards the end of the week, pushing further low pressure systems with spells of rain across the UK. Thursday most likely to see rain across central areas, drier and sunnier to north and south, though showers across the far northwest. Cloudy across England and Wales on Friday, with outbreaks of rain spreading northeast, brighter and drier across Scotland and N. Ireland, turning windy across England and Wales. Still a risk of overnight frosts for the northern half of Britain - where we keep on to colder air and we see clearer skies overnight.