Cold arctic air covers the UK Sunday, so feeling cold in the northerly wind - which will bring wintry showers. High pressure builds next week, but it won't get much warmer and there will be some April showers in places too.
The Calendar may say April but the weather feels more like the depths of winter this weekend, a cold northerly flow has returned this weekend, bringing air of arctic origin across all parts. Some parts of the UK have seen snow falling and settling too, particularly over higher ground in the north yesterday but also to lower levels in the north last night. Below Rochdale and Bury, Greater Manchester overnight and this morning:
Sunday will remain on the cold side but will be bright or sunny for many, but wintry showers will drift south at times on the northerly wind. Temperatures look set to lift a little early next week, as slightly less cold air moves in from the northwest. But although it will be dry and bright or sunny for many, those hoping to sit outdoors in beer gardens or outside cafes and restaurants, with the further relaxing of restrictions, may want to wrap up well, as will still feel chilly with temperatures in the low teens at best.
For now, hail, sleet and snow showers will continue to affect the coasts of Scotland, N. Ireland, west Wales and eastern England through the morning. Elsewhere, after a frosty start for some, mostly dry and bright or sunny through much of the morning, bar a few wintry showers spreading south through the Midlands and central southern England.
But from late morning, cloud will build and wintry showers will develop more widely inland, as the sun warms the ground and resultant thermals bubble up clouds in the cold air aloft. These wintry showers, heavy in places, will bring a mix of hail, rain, sleet and snow – drifting south on the chilly northerly breeze. Sunny spells between the showers. Temperatures at best reaching 4-8C in the north and 8-10C in the south this afternoon.
Wintry showers will ease back to coasts this evening and overnight, with most areas becoming dry and clear skies developing for many, particularly across northern and easten areas – where a frost will develop. However, a warm front moving in off the Atlantic will bring outbreaks of rain, sleet and hill snow across Ireland and N. Ireland by late evening, before sliding southeast across Wales, Midlands and parts of southern England in the early hours of Monday. Snow possibly falling to lower levels for a time, but mostly settling over higher ground.
Staying quite cloudy across Wales, parts of the Midlands and much of southern England on Monday, as that warm front continues to slide southeast, bringing some showery rain, with some wintriness at first in places too. Further north across northern England, N. Ireland and Scotland it will be drier and brighter, though some isolated showers over higher ground can't be ruled out. Slightly less cold for the north than today, but still on the chilly side for April everywhere, temperatures reaching 7-9C in the east, 9-10C in the west.
Looking further ahead for the rest of the week, high pressure looks set to dominate the weather, centred close to the UK. That means winds will be light and early mornings could see some mist or fog patches. For many it will mean it will be dry and settled with some sunshine by day too, but April is infamous for its showers, and with the strengthening sun and still cold air aloft, showers may break out across parts Scotland and northern England on Tuesday, then over England and Wales in some places Wednesday onwards, even with high pressure nearby.
It won’t be particularly mild for the rest of the week either, if anything, turning a little colder across the south from Thursday, as an easterly wind develops. With skies clear overnight, there will be an ongoing risk of widespread frost too, so gardeners may want to continue to keep non-hardy plants indoor still, despite perhaps feeling warm in any direct sun.