Sunnier skies on the way for the east, cloud and rain for the west

Large parts of of the UK have been rather grey and damp over recent days, especially eastern areas, thanks to easterly winds picking up moisture off the North Sea and also weather fronts moving west across the south.

Grey again this morning, though NW Scotland, parts of west Wales, NW Devon & Cornwall seeing some sun.

The good news is that more eastern areas of England will see an increase in sunshine later this week and over the weekend, as winds veer more southeasterly, which will pull in drier and clearer but still cold continental air. However, through the weekend, western areas will see more in the way of cloud return, as Atlantic fronts start to push in from the southwest bringing some outbreaks of rain. Eastern areas staying drier - with some sunny spells and a risk of overnight frost where skies clear.

Atlantic fronts will bring cloud and rain to the west later this week and through the weekend

For now, another cold day with much of the country blanketed in cloud this morning, apart from sheltered parts in the far west, such as Cornwall, west Wales and western Scotland - which are seeing some sunshine. Where it’s cloudy, generally the cloud will be stubborn to break up today and will be thick enough to produce some patchy drizzle or light rain across eastern areas of England, sleet or snow over high ground of northern England. Some breaks developing in the cloud towards the west and later in the south may allow some sunny spells here. Temperatures reaching 6-7C.

Scotland along with western parts of England and Wales should see cloud break up to allow some clearer spells overnight - which will lead to a frost forming. Cloudier skies generally remaining over central, southern and eastern areas of England, still with some dampness in places, temperatures remaining generally above freezing here, though patchy frost can’t be ruled out across southern England if cloud clears.

Generally more of the same on Thursday, with a lot of cloud across the UK, but with some breaks across the far west and perhaps too across the south to allow some sunny spells. On the cold side again - with temperatures reaching 5-6C - a little down on today’s figures.

On Friday - we start to some progress from an Atlantic frontal system moving in across the west - this will bring cloud and a band of rain in across the west, perhaps falling as snow over mountains, before generally fizzling out later in the day. Drier and brighter towards the east, best just of sunshine towards SE England and East Anglia - with a drier and clearer continental flow here. A strengthening southeasterly wind off a cold near continent will mean it will feel on the cold side, temperatures reaching 5-6C at best, but feeling colder in the wind. Milder air in across Cornwall, perhaps into double figures here.

The weekend is looking cloudiest towards the west, where further outbreaks of rain look to spread north along slow-moving frontal boundaries, falling as snow across higher ground of Scotland. Drier and brighter towards the east, with the best chance of sunshine towards the southeast. Still on the cold side, with the flow from the southeast, though winds perhaps easing. Where skies clear overnight in the east - there is a risk of frost.

Not a great deal of change as we go into early next week, drier and brighter but colder towards the east, cloudier and milder towards the west - with further outbreaks of rain and hill snow in the northwest. Some uncertainty from mid-week, but we may see Atlantic frontal systems make more progress towards the east, bringing cloud and a little rain in the east too on Wednesday before fizzling out, some rain and hill snow in the north and west before it arrives in the east. Gradually turning less cold across all parts later next week, but Atlantic low pressure may stay far enough away to the west that any further fronts moving east will tend to fizzle out as they try to push east against high pressure to the east and northeast.