The UK weather at this time of year can be mixed and still cool when cloudy. If you are heading further afield before Easter, a look at the weather prospects around Europe this weekend and next week.
After a wet, often windy but mostly mild March, the beginning of April brings a shift in our UK weather. It will also be Easter Holidays for many people. The first weekend could still be unsettled but there are signs of pressure building to the north of the UK. This would bring cooler air our way, also drier, more settled conditions with clear skies and the risk of frost in northern areas. Further south in Britain, there could be spells of showery rain off the North Sea but there shouldn’t be the onslaught of wind and rain from the Atlantic.
UK springtime weather is quite a gamble lurching from strong sunshine to April showers with the risk of hill snow for the highest peaks. Sheltered spots can be warm but the shade and evenings can still be chilly. For those heading abroad before Easter, we will have a look at the weather prospects.
A vigorous low pressure is forecast to move across southern Britain during Thursday night bringing strong winds and a spell of heavy rain. It is linked to a strong zonal jet powering its way straight across the Atlantic. That low pressure then crashes into the Low Countries with blustery showers and longer spells of rain for Saturday which extend over Germany and France, even down to the Alps. That means more fresh snow for the higher slopes. A dig of colder air will pull down through Scandinavia with snow for Denmark at the weekend
There will also be snow for the Pyrenees and wet weather along the north coast of Spain in a cooler north-westerly flow. Santander will have a wet weekend with cool blustery conditions at the ferry port. Barcelona remains sheltered and sunny with temperatures into the low 20sC. The jet will buckle and become more meridional with low pressure trapped and less mobile within the loop over central, then southern Europe.
The same unsettled weather linked to the low over central Europe will bring heavy showers to the Adriatic and Balkan states. Croatia will see rain and even thundery showers this weekend with temperatures of 10 to 14C.
Through Sunday the low centre slips over Italy with plenty of heavy showers which will also affect Sardinia and Malta. High pressure will drape from Scandinavia over the UK and down to most of Spain and Portugal. Madrid will also be fine this weekend at 17C. The Algarve will be fine and sunny with temperatures into the low to mid-twenties.
The high pressure doesn't mean fine weather for all, exposed coastal areas with an onshore breeze will see more cloud and damp weather. However, further inland there should be fair, brighter weather and some warmth.
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High pressure takes hold over the UK and western mainland Europe but that same low refuses to give up. It churns away with clusters of showers for the Adriatic, Italy also the Greek Islands by Tuesday and Crete. The heavy thundery showers and unsettled conditions shift across to Turkey and around the Black Sea by the middle of next week.
Madeira looks to have a sunny run with temperatures peaking this Friday at around 26C and easing down to 22C next week. Tenerife has been very warm with temperatures of 28C. Although the sunshine continues through the weekend the temperatures will be in the low to mid 20sC.
By Thursday there are signs of unsettled weather either over NW Africa, perhaps affecting the Canary Islands, through Morocco and across the Straits of Gibraltar. Or perhaps extending over the Algarve to end the week. The ECM model develops a distinct low centre but the GFS keeps the showery weather closer to the Canaries.
There are some pockets of very warm sunshine to be had in southern Europe at this time of year and changeable conditions elsewhere which mean a few days of showery rain should give way to brighter skies and warmth if you are away for a week. If your trip is just 2 or 3 days you might only experience one type of weather. Fingers crossed it's not just the showery type. To keep up-to-date with any local weather warnings, Meteo Alarm draws together many official European Meteorological service warnings to one site.
