Snow showers for Scotland as the cold May weather continues. A change by the weekend as an Atlantic low brings strong winds and heavy rain but draws up warmth from the south by Sunday.
A chilly start this morning and the risk of frost continues this week. However, there are signs that the daytime temperatures will be creeping up at the weekend, possibly jumping to 20C by Sunday. There will be wind and proper rain with that rise in temperatures though. For today, we are stuck at only 9 to 12C across the UK.
It is election day across Britain, and it is cold with a snow warning for Scotland. Parliamentary elections take place here and in Wales, with local elections in England. There has already been a covering of snow in northern Scotland, mainly the hills of Grampian and over Highland. The Met Office's warning extends down into the Central Belt. The chilly north wind around a low pressure will push the wintry showers southwards this morning. There has also been a cluster of heavy showers already for Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside as the Mayoral voting begins. Skirting along the English Channel, there is rain from another low over northern France, which has brought a damp start for SW England and Jersey. In between, there will be a mixture of sunny spells and showers today, mostly rain, but hail and wet hill snow possible too.
Southern England and south Wales should reach 12 or 13C today with sunshine, once the southern frontal band clears, with light winds. Northern Ireland and northern England stay around 9 to 11C with temperatures falling as showers move by. Many parts of Scotland stay in single figures and there will be a fresh to strong north wind along the west coast, backing to north-westerly into the Irish Sea. So windy for the coast of Co. Down and Co. Antrim also the Isle of Man.
The focus of the snow showers continues this morning over Grampian, affecting the higher parts of A96 and A9. Another area is over the southern Uplands with further wintry showers and creeping into Cumbria and the North Pennines. By later afternoon there will be scattered rain showers over Scotland and northern England extending into Lincolnshire and by the evening Norfolk. There is the risk of hail and thunder in the heavier showers today.
"Greatest chance of thunder and hail likely across southern Scotland, N and E England this afternoon." Convective Forecast
This cold flow with showers continues through Friday. The change comes at the weekend as a large Atlantic low pressure heads in, bringing more wind and rain.
It will be chilly overnight as the winds ease down. Before dawn, with lighter winds, temperatures will drop below zero with frost. Ireland looks cold where the winds will have been very light all night. The air remains particularly cold for May. Friday starts fine and sunny for many. There will still be early showers for NW England, into Flintshire brought in on the breeze. The showers spread over northern Britain, eastern England, and the north coast of Northern Ireland with hail and thunder. Gradually they become confined to NE Britain as pressure begins to rise from the southwest. That is a small ridge ahead of the weekend low. So on Friday, Wales, SW England and southern England will only see a few showers but a lot of fine, sunny weather with temperatures of 12 to 16C.
The weekend
It will be unsettled with blustery winds and times of heavy rain, welcome by some. These rain bands spin in from the SW after another chilly night for northern Britain, where there will be a fine start on Saturday. Looking very wet at this stage for Wales, SW England into the Cotswolds and the Peak District. Sunday could be drier for SE Britain and with a brisk flow from the south, the temperatures could lift in the warm air. Where the sunshine comes through 19 to 22C is possible.
