Wet & windy next few days, but settling down from weekend, could see 20C early next week

• After the mostly fine Easter Weekend, the weather will quickly go downhill today, with a deep low bringing unseasonal gales later and through Wednesday, remaining unsettled for the rest of this week, with temperatures below average.
• Improving picture through the weekend, as high pressure builds, turning drier and milder. By Monday the models are showing temperatures reaching 20C, the first time this year. It may stay dry and settled all through next week.

A strong jet stream will bring unsettled, windy and cool weather for the rest of the week

For much of the Easter Weekend, well until Easter Monday, high pressure brought fine, dry and sunny weather for many and it felt warm in the sunshine too. However, since yesterday, Atlantic low pressure systems have returned, courtesy of an unseasonably strong jet stream taking aim at the British Isles. The next few days will see a particularly disturbed spell of weather, as a deepening low pressure system swings in across the north on Wednesday, bringing gales, heavy rain, squally heavy showers and also some snow over northern and western hills. Temperatures will be below average for the rest of this week.

Temperatures below average for the rest of the week

Cold polar air will be pulled in across the North Atlantic all the way from northern Canada by the jet stream and deepening low pressure system arriving across the north arriving later today, bringing a chilly day on Wednesday for April, maximum temperatures may reach double figures in the southeast, but for many staying in single figures – which is below average for early April. The chilly feel exacerbated by the strong to gale force winds and passing squally showers for many, falling as hail and even snow (over high ground).

Thursday another cool day for most, with sunshine and showers for many, wintry over northern hills. More general rain looks to return across England and Wales on Friday as another low crosses southern Britain. Temperatures struggling again, perhaps into the low teens at best in the far south, where we could see some sunshine. But for many it may not reach double figures under the cloud and rain.

High pressure looks set to build in over the weekend, settled the weather down while temperatures warm up

However, the good news is that a ridge of high pressure looks to build in across the UK on Saturday, so a drier day with more in the way of sunshine and feeling warmer too, though still a chance of the odd light shower. The weather will continue to improve through Sunday and into early next week, as the ridge of high pressure builds in stronger. This will mean increasing amounts of sunshine and rising temperatures too. On Sunday, some models, such as GFS are showing temperatures reaching the high teens, then on Monday, temperatures reaching 20C.

Temperatures forecast by 12z GFS to reach 20C in some spots in eastern England on Monday next week

00z EPS clusters suggest high pressure could hang on all through next week, though a chance of a breakdown in the south late in the week.

How long the settled conditions last next week remains uncertain though. High pressure may stay in control close to the east or northeast through much of next week, keeping the weather mostly dry and settled. 2 out 3 of the 00z EPS clusters have high pressure remaining in control through to the end of next week, though the largest cluster, which contains the high resolution deterministic run, does show the high retreating to allow low pressure to perhaps bring a break down across the south from Thursday.