Temperatures in double figures today but severe gales tonight for Hogmanay Shetland. A fair New Year's Eve across much of the UK then cold for the start of the New Year. Frost and Fog 2019
The UK is in mild air for the last day of 2018 with temperatures up to 12C during Monday. Finishing a year of summer heat and drought, thinking back to the crazy snow when the Beast from the East combined with Storm Emma, could that easterly pick up again this winter?
High pressure is bringing a lot of fair settled weather to the UK this week but with a plunge of cold air developing bringing frost and fog for the first few days of 2019.
Overnight some parts of eastern Britain been cool, well down into single figures but further west staying around 9 or 10C. Today the top temperatures will be 10 or 11C and with hardly any breeze for southern Britain that will feel fine. A moderate to fresh SW/W breeze will pick up for northern England and Northern Ireland. For Scotland there will be a fresh westerly wind which will strengthen in the north and for Hogmanay, there is a Yellow wind warning over Shetland with severe gales forecast.
Most of the UK will have a fair Monday, dry and bright with sunny spells in the east or northeast and more cloud further west. Already there is rain for western Scotland and showery outbreaks continue here.
A cold front approaches from the far NW. Ahead of this, the mild fine weather continues but for NW Scotland there will be outbreaks of rain with a brisk wind. This cold front will push further south through Britain for the start of 2019.
Tonight
For most, it will be dry with varying amounts of cloud, some clear spells and temperatures around 4 to 8C. The cold front will bring damp weather to western and southern Scotland, northern counties of Northern Ireland with thicker cloud still over NW England. You will probably remember much worse New Year’s Eves, wind, rain, freezing breath on the long walk home. Tonight, won’t be too bad at all. It is still midwinter though. There will be strong winds and gales for northern Scotland though. The Met Office weather warning mentions gusts around 70mph and severe gales in the evening.
New Year’s Day
Behind the cold front skies clear. The cloud and damp weather moves southwards through Ireland and over Wales by morning with the front rotating towards SW Britain. This allows cold air to filter down a noticeable change for 2019.
The strong winds and gales ease down for the Northern Isles after a windy start for NE Scotland, the NW wind making it feel extra cold on Tuesday.
Then the high stays with us, it settled, mostly dry, grey at times with light winds. There will be frost and also fog which could cause some issues as people begin to return to work. The air temperatures will be low for the rest of the week, but it won’t be windy. It’s just looking quiet, no snow, just steady and cold.
Happy New Year from us all at Netweather!
