It’s still too early in spring to turn our backs on wintry weather making a comeback, even in April winter can make an unwelcome return, though this is becoming rarer in our warming world.
After a rather mild start to March, with temperatures reaching the mid-teens on several days and the warmest day of the year so far last Thursday, when 19.2C was reached at Northolt in NW London, wintry conditions look set to return by the end of this week across the hills of the north and west, while a widespread frost looks likely in the mornings at the weekend.
Turning colder from the west later this week
After a mostly dry start to the week, the weather will become changeable over the next few days, with a few spells of rain, showers and increasingly windy too. Then Friday sees a transition to colder conditions, as cold Polar maritime air originating from northern Canada sweeps in on strong westerly winds, with showers following a spell of rain turning increasingly wintry over high ground in the north and west. It won’t be as cold over the weekend, but nowhere near as mild as of late and feeling cool in the brisk westerly wind. It looks likely it will turn milder again next week, as southwesterly flow returns.
Before then, a rather cloudy day today, with weakening fronts moving east and a few showers around southern and western coasts, where it will be misty too, though on the whole it will be mostly dry and there will be some breaks developing towards the east to allow some bright or sunny spells. Temperatures reaching 10-13C.
Generally cloudy today, with showers along southern & western coasts, rain moving east tonight
Strengthening southwesterly wind and a band of rain will move east this evening and overnight, clearing eastern England in the early hours. Clearer skies following, but with blustery showers in the west, frequent and accompanied by gales in the far northwest.
A bright and blustery day on Wednesday, with a brisk westerly wind blowing in scattered showers across the north and west, most frequent across western Scotland. Mostly dry in the south. Temperatures similar to today’s values reaching the low teens.
Wet and windy conditions spreading in from the west across northern and western areas on Thursday, rain turning increasingly to hill snow across Scotland as it clears by early evening, followed by colder air with clearer spells and blustery showers towards the northwest, which will be wintry over higher ground. Central, southern and eastern England staying mostly dry and bright or sunny until after dark.
Wet & windy conditions spreading SE on Thursday
Friday
Overnight rain across southern, central and eastern England clearing first thing, then all parts cold in a strong westerly wind, sunny spells for many, but also blustery showers blowing through, heaviest and most frequent in the north and west, where they will be wintry over higher ground, with the mountains likely to see a covering of snow higher up by the end of the day. The 528 dam line sweeps east on Friday. Normally in winter sub 528 can be a harbinger of wintry precipitation, even at lower levels, but being nearly mid-March it will be struggle to see anything wintry down south away from mountains in the west. A noticeable wind chill in north & west too in the strong westerly wind.
A widespread frost developing Friday night where skies clear.
Less cold and winds easing on Saturday, as a transitory ridge of high pressure builds in from the west, still a few scattered showers in the west, but most places dry and bright or sunny.
Perhaps an early frost Sunday morning across central, southern and eastern England before cloud and rain moving in across Scotland and the far west overnight spreads east Sunday morning, followed by brighter skies and a brisk westerly wind with showers across the west.
Next week looks to become more settled and drier for England and Wales, as high pressure builds over the near continent and expands northwest, milder too, as winds turn southwesterly, with temperatures widely reaching the low to mid-teens again from mid-week. Scotland, Republic of Ireland / N. Ireland prone to Atlantic fronts bringing cloud and rain at times through to mid-week, though it may turn drier and more settled even here later in the week.
Loading recent activity...
