Week Ahead - cloud may hamper seeing the Green Comet, dry for the south, unsettled & windy north

This coming week’s weather will be characterised by a north-south split. Northern areas will be unsettled with rain or showers, colder at times until Thursday - with a risk of sleet and snow on hills. Milder thereafter. It will be windy too for much of the week across the north, especially late Tuesday and into Wednesday – when a deep low looks to whizz past the north of Scotland. Southern areas will be mostly dry throughout the week with lighter winds – thanks to high pressure towards the south, temperatures average until Thursday, then above average thereafter as all parts of the UK become mild.

This coming week, sky gazers will be looking out for a green comet, Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) to be precise, that was last visible 50,000 years ago and has finally returned to the night’s sky. It will be visible every night this week in the Northern Hemisphere if the skies are clear. It will be necessary to use binoculars or a telescope to see the green comet, it will make its closest pass to earth on Wednesday 1st February, when it should be possible to watch the comet with the naked eye. Monday night could see some clear skies in the south initially before all parts turn cloudy, though northern Scotland may turn clearer later in the night. Tuesday night may have some areas of clear skies away from the northwest. Wednesday night, the best chance to see the comet at its closest to earth is looking rather cloudy for all unfortunately. Thursday and Friday nights, at the moment, are looking mostly cloudy. So best to catch a glimpse earlier in the week.

Monday

In more detail for the week ahead: a set of weakening cold fronts moves south tonight, bringing cloud and patchy rain or drizzle across England and Wales. Following will be clearer but colder and windier conditions across Scotland and northern England, with blustery showers towards western Scotland, falling as snow over higher ground.

The last of these cold fronts clears the south coast Monday morning, clearing away the cloud and patchy drizzle to start the day across southern areas. Following will be a mostly dry day with sunny spells moving down across most areas, as a ridge of high pressure builds in from the southwest. However, showers will continue across western Scotland and cloud will increase across the far northwest in the evening – with outbreaks of rain moving in across N. Ireland and western Scotland late evening. Temperatures around or slightly above average, reaching 7-9C generally, perhaps 10C across the far southwest. Becoming rather windy across northern and western areas.

Tuesday

Another cold front clears southeast Monday night, weakening as it does so, with little rain along it by the time it reaches southern England before clearing the south coast Tuesday morning. A deep low will approach Scotland from the northwest on Tuesday, so becoming windy across all parts, especially in the north – with gales or severe gales developing across Scotland later in the day and overnight. There will be blustery showers feeding in across the north on the strong westerly wind too, frequent and heavy across western Scotland and Cumbria, falling as snow over higher ground – perhaps with blizzard conditions for the western Highlands. The rest of England, Wales and eastern Scotland mostly dry and bright or sunny, lighter winds in the south but still breezy. Temperatures reaching 6-8C across the north, 9-11C across the south.

Severe gales developing across far north of Scotland Tuesday night

Wednesday

After a windy night with gales or severe gales across Scotland, winds will ease through Wednesday morning as that deep low passing the north of Scotland moves away east. Blustery showers from the word go across the northwest on Wednesday morning, wintry over high ground. A bright and dry start in the east, but most areas becoming cloudier from the west, with patchy rain or drizzle towards the west, which may become more persistent in the northwest by evening, mostly dry in the south and east. Temperatures reaching 6-8C in the north, 8-10C in the south.

Thursday

Breezy and generally cloudy with patchy rain or drizzle on Thursday, rain perhaps more persistent across the far north. Southern England and south Wales look to stay mostly dry though, perhaps with some brightness. Mild across all parts in the westerly wind, reaching 9-10C, perhaps 11C across the far west.

Friday

Another cloudy but mild day on Friday, with some patchy rain or drizzle across the north and west, particularly over hills, southern and eastern areas mostly dry with perhaps some brightness or brief sunny spells to the lee of high ground. Rain perhaps turning more persistent across northwest Scotland later in the day, as cold front arrives. Temperatures reaching 9-11C.

Next weekend

Next weekend is looking unsettled and windy across the north on Saturday, a strong northwesterly wind blowing in wintry showers across Scotland following a band of rain clearing southeast. Southern areas mild, mostly dry and bright or sunny, though may become cloudier in the afternoon. Sunday, for now, is looking mostly dry and increasingly sunny, as a ridge of high pressure builds in across the UK from the south.