The Atlantic is throwing a series of weather fronts at the UK, which will bring spells of wet and windy weather, but with sunshine for the gaps in between. There will also be large swings in temperature, including warmth by the middle of next week. Today, you might want to wear a warm hat.
During Thursday night, you may have heard the gusty winds and intense rain as a cold front moved southeastwards across Britain. Frontal cloud remains over southern England early on Friday, linked to that rainband. For the rest of the UK, there are sunny spells, colder air and a host of showers, including sleet and hill snow.
Another weather system will arrive early on Sunday, and one more for Monday night. We will start the weekend in this cooler air from the northwest, but the frontal system for the second part of the weekend will try to introduce milder air from the central Atlantic rather than from near Greenland. This could lift the temperatures in southern Britain to 12 or 13C but will have very little impact further north, staying closer to 8C. Sunday night will turn cooler again but the next weather system could bring much milder air to the UK for Tuesday and Wednesday. Even up to 20C by the middle of next week, so that will be a change!
Netweather Radar Friday 0915 with top ten windspeeds
Friday
Under the clear, starry skies behind the cold front, temperatures fell away and leaving a cold start for Friday. There is a fresh and gusty W/SW wind with sunshine for eastern Britain and the frontal cloud in the south. The cold front will continue across mainland Europe, reaching the Alps at the weekend but it has been rather mild and slushy for the Paralympics, which finish on Sunday.
For the UK, there has been snow for inland Scotland and over some northern hills. These showers will continue to whizz in from the west; a mix of icy rain, sleet, hail and snow flurries.
There has been a sunny gap over the Midlands and Lincolnshire to start Friday but elsewhere there is more cloud with the showers. The skies will darken and the winds pick up as a shower arrives, and the temperature will drop. Then that shower moves on, and the skies should brighten a bit. The models are showing a more organised feature over north Wales and Greater Manchester this afternoon, so expect more cloud and rain here with wet snow. The Scottish ski resorts will be pleased with a bit of snow before the weekend but the strong winds aren’t helping for today. There will be more chance of sunny spells and fewer showers for eastern Britain. Temperatures today will typically be around 7 or 8C but feel colder in the brisk wind. The Home Counties and London could see 10 or 11C.
Overnight, the showers will ease as will the brisk cold wind. However, there will still be this band of showers for Wales and the Midlands, across to the Humber on Friday evening. Also, a scattering for SW England and a few along the English Channel coast. Northern Ireland will dry up after dark and much of northern Britain, but western Scotland will continue to see wintry showers.
That organised feature from north Wales should be over Essex and Kent by dawn on Saturday, so a few rain showers to start the day but they will clear. Temperatures across the UK will be -2 to +3C with a patchy frost thanks to clear skies and lighter winds. Another pulse of showers will arrive from the northwest, mostly for western Scotland but some reaching through the Central Belt and over the north coast of Northern Ireland.
By Saturday afternoon, there will be a scattering of showers for Scotland but plenty of bright spells in between. Much of the UK will have sunny spells and although the air is still cool, the lighter winds won’t feel as chilly. Southwest England will also see a scattering of rain showers.
Temperatures will fall away on Saturday night before the next weather front arrives from the Atlantic. There will be increasingly high cloud and a freshening southerly. More snow for the western Highlands but rain at lower levels for Northern Ireland and western Britain in the small hours. Ahead of all of this, temperatures will fall near freezing with a frost for parts of England.
Sunday
The southeastern half of Britain could start Sunday looking fine and bright however, there will be frontal rain and cloud stumbling in from the west. Grampian and southeastern England won’t see much rain, but the frontal band will nudge over more of England in the afternoon. Although Northern Ireland and Scotland will remain in the cool air, southern Britain will feel milder, away from the rain. Northern England will be around 9 or 10C with a few showers and a fresh SW wind. It will be a blustery day for everyone.
More snow showers for Scotland and northern hilltops overnight with a cold night for most, just southern England holding onto the milder air.
Then waiting for the next weather system from the west later on Monday and the warmer air into Tuesday.
Loading recent activity...
