A rather disturbed and unsettled weather pattern over coming days, thanks to a powerful jet stream. Windy with spells of rain or showers, gales at times too. Cold enough in the north for hill snow.
Following soon after Storm Atiyah, which caused disruption to travel and brought down trees in the southwest, a strong jet stream and a series of low pressure systems moving east will ensure it will be windy for the rest of the week, with gales or severe gales at times along with spells of heavy rain or showers. Although it will be generally mild across the south, colder air will spread across north later this week, allowing rain to turn snow over the hills. Colder air will spread across all parts into the weekend, but the low pressure systems will keep coming, bringing windy conditions with further rain across the south, but a mix of rain, sleet and snow to the north.
Unsettled the rest of this week and over the coming weekend, thanks to a powerful jet stream in the driving seat.
For now, it’s a mild, wet and windy start across the north and west. Gales and outbreaks of heavy rain are affecting the morning commute across Scotland, northern England, Northern Ireland, west Midlands, Wales and SW England. The strong southerly wind in the north and west already gusting to 50-60mph, locally even higher over coasts and hills. But towards eastern England, it’s a calmer start with clearer skies overnight bringing a cold start to the morning – with temperatures close freezing across Kent and East Anglia at dawn.
Outbreaks of rain and strong winds across the north and west will continue to spread eastwards through the morning, reaching eastern England by late morning, where after a cold and bright start, temperatures will rise through the morning too. Through the afternoon, a more organised band of heavy rain and strong winds along a cold front will move in across the north and west, winds will be gusting to 50-60mph across the north and west, locally 60-70mph across Wales and NW England – with a yellow wind warning issued by the Met Office for these strong winds. So there could be some travel disruption, for example, Irish Sea ferry crossings. Also there is yellow rain warning out for western Scotland for the risk of flooding - where there could be up to 60mm of rain.
The band of heavy and squally rain crossing England through the evening rush hour, before clearing the southeast during the evening, clearer and colder but still windy conditions following across the north and west through late afternoon into the evening, but with squally showers across the northwest – which will fall as snow over higher ground.
Rain soon clearing the far southeast tonight, then clearer conditions spreading across most parts overnight. Showers will affect western Scotland, Northern Ireland and west Wales, falling as snow over higher ground in the northwest. It will be cold overnight with temperature in low single figures, but because it will be windy, a frost is unlikely.
A chilly start to Wednesday, but most will start dry and bright, but showers likely from the word go across the west, falling as snow over northern hills, a few showers likely along southern coasts too. A windy and chilly day for all, with sunny spells and frequent heavy and squally showers towards the west, spreading further inland at times too, hail and thunder possible with the heaviest showers and falling as snow over higher ground in the north. Gales likely in the northwest. Areas most likely to escape most the showers and seeing the best of the sunshine likely to be eastern Scotland and eastern England. Temperatures reaching 6-7C in the north, 7-9C in the south.
The next area of low pressure will slide in off the Atlantic across Ireland and later England on Thursday. Outbreaks of heavy rain and strong winds will spread east across England and Wales Thursday morning ahead of the low, milder air spreading in across the south too, but as the rain reaches northern England and southern Scotland and bumps into colder air here it will turn to snow, mainly over higher ground but perhaps to lower levels for a time too. Rain clearing SE England and East Anglia by evening, showers following, though also clearer spells in places too, gales across the south. Scotland and NE England reaching only 4-5C at best, but milder further south 6-9C, along southern counties of England and Wales 10-11C.
Bright, breezy and chilly day on Friday, but with showers around, particularly across northern and eastern areas, wintry across higher ground in the north. Turning wet and windy across the southwest in the evening, while more persistent rain, sleet and hill snow moves in across western Scotland.
Remaining unsettled and windy through the weekend. A spell of wet and windy weather clearing east first thing on Saturday, bringing northern hill snow. Windy with sunny spells and showers following early rain and hill snow for much of the day. Perhaps another spell of wind and rain across the south Saturday night, followed by a blustery day on Sunday with sunny spells and showers, wintry over northern hills.