Metcheck.com UK Weather News

Hot Or Very Hot This Week

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 08:48:38 GMT

Much of Britain and Ireland are still on course to experience a hot week this week as temperatures really begin to soar. Low pressure is out over the Atlantic and is going nowhere fast. This combined with high pressure to our east and northeast will help to draw up increasingly hot air from the south as we go through the week. However, we may well pay the price for the hot spell later in the week as violent thunderstorms break out. Its a rather muggy, misty and murky start in many areas this morning with a lot of low cloud around. Its not all gloom and doom though, with northwest Scotland, much of Ireland, central and southern England seeing lots of sunshine already. The far southwest of England and Ireland are cloudier though with some showers around, and these will continue on and off throughout the day. As we go through the day, the low cloud will continue to break up and most places will see some sunshine helping temperatures rise, with highs of around 28°C likely towards London.. However, we are expecting thundery showers to break out again over inland areas of England - please see our Convective Weather Advisory for more details. Thundery showers will slowly die out overnight and then many areas will be warm with mist patches forming again. Then for the coming days it will be a case of increasingly fine, sunny and hot conditions prevailing, but with the risk of afternoon storms - particularly towards the north and west. Temperatures will soar, with maximums likely to be in the high 20's for many, and 30°C or above towards the southeast on many days this week. We will then be watching carefully as the end of the week could well see violent storms brewing up as the atmosphere becomes increasingly unstable. More on this as we go through the week.

Cooler And Cloudier

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 04:24:30 GMT

Its a much cooler and fresher feeling day today across Britain and Ireland, but more so in the north and west where a fresh westerly wind will be blowing in from off the Atlantic. This wind will carry a number of showers with it into northern and western parts, and some of these will be heavy with a risk of thunder, as well as merging into longer spells of rain across western areas of both Scotland and Ireland, Across England and Wales, it is a drier story, but it will be rather on the cloudy side at times. This cloud will be thick enough to bring one or two mainly light showers with it in places, but many southern and eastern areas should remain dry, and there will be some sunny spells around. This is good news for Gold Cup Day at Royal Ascot where a few sunny spells are likely with just a small risk of a shower, although it may be a little on the breezy side for the ladies hats! Temperatures everywhere will be cooler than of late, with highs generally in the mid to high teens. Not a lot of change on Friday with the west/north-westerly flow continuing, and most of the showers in the north, before high pressure begins to build in from the southwest over the weekend - a good sign of things to come!

More Rain Today

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:07:44 GMT

Its a rather wet start to the day across much of northern and western Britain, as well as across much of Ireland. An Atlantic low pressure system is sending its weather fronts across the country today, as well as bringing a rather brisk south-westerly wind too across central and northern parts. Its not all doom and gloom however, with much of south-eastern Britain likely to have a mostly dry day, although it will become increasingly cloudy here by this afternoon after some sunshine this morning. Hopefully the rain will hold off for much of the time at Royal Ascot, but we can't rule out some dampness before the end of the day. This afternoon will also see brighter conditions returning across Ireland and other western areas of Britain, but a scattering of showers will also break out too. Temperatures will be down on recent days, with values generally in the mid to high teens, although the brighter areas of southeast England may reach 22C for a time. The cloud and any light rain will move across south-eastern parts tonight, and for many areas it will become dry with clear spells, although showers will continue in the north. This sets us up for Thursday and Friday, with many central and southern areas seeing a good deal of sunshine, but showers will affect northern districts. It will feel fresher everywhere by then with a moderate west/north-westerly breeze blowing. Looking further ahead, and high pressure looks set to take control and plenty of fine and settled weather is on the cards - very promising signs for the start of the tennis championships at Wimbledon next week!

Same Again

Tue, 12 May 2009 05:19:29 GMT

We can all expect a very similar day today to that of yesterday, with very little change in the general pattern. High pressure is centred close to northeast Scotland and is the dominant feature. Meanwhile, a complex area of low pressure to the south of Britain is trying to send weather fronts, bringing cloud and rain, northwards - without much success. In between - across Britain and Ireland - we have that easterly wind once again, and it will still be pretty strong across central and southern parts with gusts of up to 60mph likely towards exposed southern coasts in particular. For most of us, it will be another dry and fine day with long spells of sunshine - remember the sunburn risk though! The sunshine is likely to be hazy at times towards southern areas, but not enough to spoil the day. Temperatures will be highest towards central and western areas, with eastern coasts again feeling very much on the cool side. Later today, thicker cloud is likely to move up from the south as those weather fronts try to make their way northwards. This cloud may well bring some rain with it by this evening to southern coastal counties of England, and as we head through tonight further outbreaks of rain are likely at times close to the south coast. Elsewhere will see another dry and clear night, with misty low cloud spreading in from the east later. For the midweek period, and most central and northern areas will remain fine and breezy, but towards central and southern England it looks like it will be cloudier with rain or heavy showers at times - and we cannot rule out the risk of thunder either. We will keep you right up-to-date here on Metcheck as we head through the week!

Showery NW: Fine SE

Fri, 08 May 2009 23:56:00 GMT

After a windy few days, today will see a welcome change for many of us with winds much lighter than they have been of late. This is due to low pressure now moving away to the north allowing pressure to slowly rise across Britain and Ireland over the next couple of days. However, its not a straightforward change to more settled conditions as a stubborn weather front becomes rather slow moving across parts of Ireland, southern Scotland and northern England. This weather front will bring showery outbreaks of rain with it, some of which will be on the heavy and prolonged side at times. The rain, mostly over northern parts of Ireland and into southern Scotland this morning, will tend to sink its way southeast into northern England and perhaps North Wales by this evening. To the north and west of this front it will be another day of sunny intervals and scattered showers, whilst to the south and east across much of England and Wales , it will be a mostly fine day with long sunny spells and only the odd shower breaking out this afternoon. Temperatures will be close to normal, but feeling a bit warmer today thanks to the lighter winds. Many parts will become dry with clear spells tonight, but more cloud and patchy rain is likely to continue to affect parts of Wales and northern England. Little change as we go into tomorrow, with a fair amount of dry and fine weather to be had away from that cloudier zone. By the time we get to Sunday night, a freshening easterly breeze will be noticeable across the south, and this will be quite a feature for the early part of next week. Cool and often cloudy conditions are likely towards the east coast, with the best of the sunshine towards the north and west as high pressure sits close to Scotland. Rain is likely to move into southern counties by Tuesday, and this will slowly move northwards, potentially marking the start of a very unsettled spell of weather from later next week. For now though, enjoy the weekend from all of us at Metcheck!

Breezy With Rain In The North

Wed, 06 May 2009 17:05:33 GMT

Another breezy day is in store for most of us today, and with a deepening Atlantic low moving close to northwest Scotland tonight, there is a risk of west/south-westerly gales developing for a time towards north-western Britain. We're currently in an unsettled regime with low pressure in control, but despite this some parts of the south and east are seeing very little in the way of rainfall and are in fact seeing some bright and warm weather. Today is nearly a repeat performance of yesterday with the general synoptic pattern very similar. Weather fronts are still trailing across northern parts of Britain bringing rain at times. So for Northern Ireland, northern England and much of Scotland it will be another cloudy day and outbreaks of increasingly heavy and persistent rain will move in from the west as we go through the day. At the moment it doesn't look like quite meeting our warnings criteria, but we will be keeping a close eye on this over the coming hours as it does look like becoming very wet over western Scotland especially. For the rest of Britain and Ireland it is a rather cloudy start with some drizzly rain in places, but the cloud should begin to lift and break again during the morning and it will turn into a pleasant afternoon with some sunny spells - particularly across inland areas of England and Wales. It will be warm here too, with a high of 20C in London. This is good news for cricket fans as the First Test of the summer begins against the West Indies at Lords today. Indeed the outlook for the next five days for London is promising with plenty of dry weather in store. Looking ahead to tonight, and the rain in the northwest will slip its way south-eastwards, tending to die out as it does so. Clearer conditions with showers will follow into the northwest, whilst the southeast will remain dry. Gales will develop in the northwest, with gusts of up to 70mph likely for a time. Cloud and any remaining patchy rain will clear the southeast tomorrow morning and then many areas will see some sunny spells with showers mostly towards the north and west, before more general rain arrives here later in the day. Longer term and it looks like high pressure will build over or close to northern Britain during the weekend and into next week, with plenty of fine and warm weather developing away from eastern coasts, where an onshore breeze may mean a return to misty low cloud coming in off the North Sea at times. However, southern parts of England may see rain or showers at times with low pressure over the near continent, but confidence is low on this at the moment. We will of course keep you updated daily here!

Damp Bank Holiday For Some

Mon, 04 May 2009 11:02:28 GMT

The May Day Bank Holiday is here and to be honest its not looking too good on the weather side of things thanks to an Atlantic weather system that is moving across much of Britain and Ireland. Its not a particularly active system, but it is bringing a lot of cloud and some patchy rain from time to time. Its not all bad news though, as the far south and southeast of England have been mostly dry this morning with some hazy sunshine. Most of this sunshine will be gone for this afternoon as thicker cloud spreads down from the northwest. Further outbreaks of mostly light rain are likely just about anywhere, but the heaviest rain is always going to be over western hills. With the breeze it will be feeling cooler than recently with temperatures into the low teens at best. Not a lot of change as we head through tonight, with a cloudy and mild night in store for all parts. Further rain is likely at times over western parts, but towards the east it will be a drier picture. For Tuesday and the weather system will still be trailing across northern Britain, and this will bring a wet day for Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland with some heavy rain developing at times. Up to 2 inches of rainfall is likely over western upslopes, and we are watching this carefully as this may bring a risk of some flooding. Further to the south, after a cloudy start, it should begin to brighten up, and this will allow temperatures to rise again. Looking ahead into the second half of the week, and not a lot of change with further rain or showers across the north. The south will be drier, brighter and warmer, but a band of rain is likely to cross England and Wales on Thursday.

Easter variable but mild for most

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 10:05:39 GMT

The long weekend has arrived and many of us will be making journeys of some description or, at least, will have planned something interesting to do – often involving the outdoors in some way. Interesting fact: Statistically snow is more likely in the UK at Easter than at Christmas! Well, very little snow this year… even if high parts of northern Scotland could see some come out of a band of eastward travelling showers late Saturday / early Sunday. The remainder of Maundy Thursday will, for most of us, be spent under quite balmy conditions, as a southerly drift becomes set up within the ’warm sector’ of a depression whose ‘warm front’ gave northern areas some overnight / morning rain, and whose trailing ‘cold front’ will bring a further rain band in from the Atlantic this evening, overnight and through tomorrow. So a warm day today – around 16C is quite likely in the south-east of England. Other places, especially in sheltered eastern Britain can expect close to this value and, in some parts, the sun may even shine for a while. Western districts, on the other hand, are likely to be plagued by cloudier and damper weather – before the rain band arrives later in Ireland, western Wales, the far south-west of England and western Scotland. Good Friday looks set to be cloudy and showery - or wet - for many of us, particularly in eastern Britain. Western parts will see a welcome clearance, with brighter, breezier conditions and just the occasional shower. Then, as mentioned at the beginning of this report, a more organised band of showers is set to travel eastwards across the country during late Saturday and early Sunday. Exact timing and intensity on this feature is however still difficult to assess. Beyond that a further low pressure system is destined to approach from the south-west late on Sunday. So, all in all, not an easy Easter to plan things – that said, enjoy it all the same!

Big Changes Ahead

Sun, 05 Apr 2009 09:14:12 GMT

A beautiful day in store for much of Britain and Ireland today, but make the most of it as it could well be the last decent day for a while. Pressure is currently rising over most areas, but this is going to be a short-lived affair as the jet stream begins to power up - and this will send a number of Atlantic weather systems our way during the coming week. So for the majority of the country its going to be a very pleasant Sunday with sunny spells for most of the day. The sunshine will turn a bit hazy at times, but it won't be enough to spoil the day. Temperatures will respond well too, with maximums close to 15C or 16C (around 60F) in places. One exception will be northwest Scotland where more cloud and a strong south-westerly wind will bring some rain at times, so not a brilliant day here we're afraid to say. A dry and quiet night for most tonight, but a developing Atlantic low to the west will bring more cloud and eventually some rain into Ireland by morning, along with a freshening southerly wind. This heralds the big change as we enter an increasingly unsettled regime. Monday will see the freshening southerly winds and outbreaks of rain, heavy in places, spreading eastwards, the rain probably not reaching central and eastern Britain until late in the day. Brighter conditions will then follow the rain into the west. Looking further ahead and Tuesday looks like seeing a good old fashioned mix of sunshine and April showers, before wet and windy weather affects the south during Wednesday, with a risk of gales developing around the south-eastern coast of England for a time. We will be watching this carefully and keep you updated as we get nearer the time. For now though, enjoy the sunshine today if you have it!

‘Calm’ Sunday…

Sat, 04 Apr 2009 12:26:29 GMT

It is a kind of gradual breakdown for the UK over the next few days: Some rain, a generally good weekend, then cooler and more variable weather during the Easter week. It is just a little early to be precise about the upcoming long weekend: at the moment changeable weather looks more likely than anticyclonic conditions – that said some eastern and southern districts of England in particular might actually fare quite well. So for today, Saturday, we have exiting fronts and attendant rain to deal with. These have been bound up within a small low pressure that overnight was over west Ireland and today will be cross Scotland - on its journey towards the west coast of Norway. This afternoon the weather bands will still just be affecting easternmost areas of England, particularly East Anglia and the South-East, before heading out into the North Sea. As the Low moves north-eastwards across Scotland some fairly heavy rain and showers are likely for a while across this part of Britain. Then, towards evening, some more wet weather will arrive in west and north-west Scotland: northern and western Ireland are also set to see increasing cloud, then drizzle from this same weather system. For the rest of the British Isles a transient High will in general set the scene for a lovely spring Sunday, though temperatures may just be a shade down on recent values. This notwithstanding low to mid-teens Celsius (mid-50s Fahrenheit) should be attained practically everywhere. Cloudy, damp conditions are however likely to persist along western Irish and Scottish coasts, whilst northern Scotland may have more general rain and drizzle for much of the day. By Monday eastern Britain will be fine and pleasantly warm, though with a stiff southerly breeze developing. This is the harbinger of the wetter and windier weather that will already be affecting much of Ireland, Wales and south-west England – and heading east. This seems set to herald the definitive breakdown in our recent fine weather, as a deep and complex low pressure centre builds close to western Ireland and Scotland for early next week. So don’t pack that winter raincoat away - just yet!

Mostly Fine Away From The North And West

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 10:22:32 GMT

A much better day for much of Britain today with a ridge of high pressure bringing plenty of sunshine to many areas. However, the clear skies overnight meant it was a frosty start this morning, and temperatures have a bit of climbing to do. By this afternoon many areas should see highs in the ranges of 9C to 11C, and in the sunshine and with the light winds it will feel a lot, lot better than yesterday. As is often the case, its a slightly different story if you are in Ireland or northern and western Scotland. There's a lot more cloud to be had here, along with some rain at times today. This is due to a frontal system moving in from the Atlantic. Due to the cold air ahead of this front, some of the rain will fall as snow over the mountains for a time too, giving some further accumulations after the heavy snowfall over the last couple of days. Its also windy towards the northwest, with south-westerly winds becoming strong to near gale force for a time today. For the Boat Race on the River Thames this afternoon (start time 15:40BST) it looks like being a smashing afternoon with plenty of sunshine and light winds - perfect for both the spectators and competitors! Back to the weather, and the cloud and rain in the northwest will slowly edge south-eastwards tonight and tomorrow. The rain will tend to mostly die out and most areas will just see more cloud tomorrow. However, the cloud won't reach south-eastern Britain tonight and another frost can be expected here, so protect those tender plants! As we go through the week ahead, it looks like becoming ever more settled as high pressure takes charge with temperatures on the rise too. More on this tomorrow! Finally, a quick reminder that if you haven't already done so then put your clocks forward. They went forward an hour last night at 1am, and we are now officially in British Summer Time!

Mostly sunny start to BST…

Sat, 28 Mar 2009 11:09:47 GMT

Well, it looks like a wee bit of chilliness – and then, next week, as the cherished lighter evenings return – it is back to balmier spring conditions for many of us. Let us take a closer look at how this will come about… For Saturday most of the British Isles will remain under the influence of a northerly, which will briefly bring us some cold showery weather down from the Norwegian Sea area. Wrapped up within this flow is an eastward moving occluded front that will maintain substantial cloud cover – mainly over eastern districts of Scotland and England. Some rain, sleet and hill snow will be a feature of the frontal band, leading to a raw-feeling day in these areas. Upland Scotland has in fact had quite a wintry couple of days, with lots of overnight snow for Cairngorm in particular. Elsewhere occasional wintry showers will affect any north-facing coasts and hills of especially south-west England, Wales, northern and western Scotland and northern Ireland. The driest and maybe sunniest conditions are likely to be in parts of the West Midlands and southernmost England – nowhere though will feel especially warm today, with average maxima generally around 8C. By Sunday and into the beginning of next week southern parts of Britain will already start to feel the benefit of high pressure bubbling up from the Azores. This will provide most of England and Wales with some very pleasant, mostly sunny conditions. By contrast, northern parts of Ireland and much of Scotland will, we are sorry to report, remain beneath a more transient flow of Atlantic-dominated weather which - however we phrase it - means a wetter, breezier and more changeable weather-type for these areas…

Low In Charge

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 07:48:59 GMT

The headline says it all really. Low pressure is still close to the north of the UK today and is bringing with it a very unsettled day with strong winds, showers and longer spells of rain set to feature - along with snow over the northern hills in particular. Showers are already peppering northern and western coastal areas this morning, and as we go through the day these showers will become more widespread over central and eastern areas. As always with a showery set-up, some places will stay mainly dry whilst others see a rather wet day. Some of the showers will be heavy with hail and thunder a risk, and snow is likely to fall over higher ground across Ireland, Wales, northern England and Scotland. The showers are also likely to merge into a longer spell of rain or snow over Scotland, and there could be some decent falls of snow for the Scottish ski resorts. All in all a typical story of April showers coming a week or so early! Later today it looks like parts of southern England will see a drier and brighter spell of weather as the showers die away, so it could be a reasonable end to the day here. However, it won’t last as tonight we are expecting rain or showers to become rather more widespread again as low pressure moves into the North Sea, allowing its associated weather front to move south on its western flank. As it turns colder with the winds going into the north, the snow risk will increase over Scotland, especially for the north. This takes us into a cold and windy day on Saturday with northerly winds blowing in further showers - and with colder conditions everywhere almost anyone could see a wintry shower. As we go through the day the showers in the west will begin to die back as a ridge of high pressure starts to build in from the southwest. This heralds a much drier and brighter day on Sunday after a frosty start, which will be good news for the Boat Race on Sunday afternoon. A quick look at next week suggests drier and more settled conditions developing from the south as high pressure builds, but more on this over the weekend!

Set mainly fair…

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 08:22:42 GMT

With anticyclonic conditions over, or very close to, the British Isles we would – were it any time between May and September – be announcing a very warm period of weather… as it is we are in March and, well, it is generally nice for most. As has been the case recently, under sunny skies, some fortunate localities can expect to reach 15, 16, even 17C – and where that happens it will of course feel very pleasant indeed. Thursday looks to see a repeat of a cooling easterly drift, with associated cloudier conditions, along most North Sea coastal districts. This will make it feel distinctly chilly for those of you spending the day beneath the cloud. To compensate, where the greyness does remain through the hours of darkness as well, milder nocturnal temperatures will result. Conversely under clear skies, with the daytime warmth having been radiated back out into space, some favoured hollows and valley bottoms across the UK and Ireland can once more expect overnight fog and/or frost. The good news is that the largely fine conditions look set to stay with most of us at least through the weekend. There are however initial indications for cooler, breezier and more variable conditions to spread down from the north-west early next week. We will have a better idea of these developments over the next few days…

Sunshine Developing For Many

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:30:00 GMT

High pressure continues to dominate Britain and Ireland's weather as it sits slap bang over the country today. Winds are very light whilst the old weather front that has been plaguing some areas over the last couple of days has finally fizzled out. Many areas are starting off misty this morning with some fog patches and low cloud as well. Its also chilly with a touch of frost in places - especially where skies have remained clear overnight. We are now only days away from the spring equinox, so the sun is becoming stronger day by day now, and it should be strong enough to burn away the mist and low cloud this morning, so that by this afternoon many areas are fine and dry with sunny spells - perfect for getting out and about! One exception may be the far north of Scotland, where more cloud may drift in at times, perhaps thick enough for a spot or two of light rain or drizzle. Here it will be a little cooler, otherwise for many it will be another very mild day, and feeling pleasantly warm in the sunshine with temperatures around 15C for many central and southern areas. A fine and clear night follows tonight, with mist, fog and low cloud forming again, as well as a touch of frost in places as temperatures fall close to freezing. However, a easterly breeze will pick up in southern counties, and this may well feed in some low cloud from the North Sea across eastern Britain by the end of the night, but this will help keep temperatures a little higher. The mainly settled theme continues over the next few days as well, with many areas seeing sunny spells at times and temperatures close to or just above the seasonal norm - although it will be cooler in the east for a time with that easterly breeze blowing in misty low cloud in from the sea.

The best of spring...

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 09:49:52 GMT

Well, from tomorrow onwards, it increasingly looks as though many parts of the UK are going to enter a period of very benign weather indeed. It is only late March, so a cold blast in April is always possible. However the gentle conditions that we are going to experience will be welcome to most after a substantially colder winter than we have become accustomed to. The good weather might also help alleviate the real and psychological pressures of economic downturn – if only for a day or two... As for today we need to be a little patient as a weather system and its fronts traverse the country from west to east giving localised rain and strong winds. This combination will produce the worst conditions over western Scotland. For the best weather on Saturday, albeit quite breezy, the focus should turn to Devon and Cornwall. By Sunday, as conditions improve everywhere, we would expect 14C or thereabouts for parts of South-East England. The chief reason behind this upturn is that a centre of high pressure will begin to consolidate over, or close to, the UK. Through to midweek there are unlikely to be any radical changes to this general pattern, and fronts that do seek to affect the British Isles will have any really bad weather squeezed out of them. Fantastic - ideal for planning outdoor activities across practically all parts of the British Isles...

Mostly Cloudy But Mild

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 05:39:20 GMT

A mild south-westerly flow affects Britain and Ireland today so it will be a mild end to the working week, even though it's a generally cloudy one. Low pressure is to the west of Britain over the Atlantic and this is allowing the frontal system that brought a cloudy day to southern Britain on Thursday to return northwards again. However, with high pressure over the near continent, the front will be on the weak side and bring no more than a little patchy rain or drizzle with it. This morning sees a bright and chilly start in the far north and east of Scotland and England with a touch of ground frost in places thanks to the clear skies overnight. Cloud over southern and western areas will continue to feed its way north-eastwards though. The cloud is thick enough to bring a little light rain over western coasts and hills, and this will be the theme for the rest of the day. The odd bright or sunny spell may develop towards the southeast this afternoon, but generally it will be cloudy everywhere. Despite this it will be mild with temperatures up to 14C in places. Its Gold Cup day at the Cheltenham Festival and the highlight of the event, but unfortunately it doesn't look like the sun will shine much today. Cloudy skies will dominate, but at least it should stay mostly dry and it will be on the mild side with temperatures around 12C at best. A quick look ahead into next week and it looks like we could see some glorious spring weather developing with high pressure taking charge bringing fine and mild days but some chilly nights too. More on this over the weekend!

Unpleasant for most

Sat, 07 Mar 2009 10:16:56 GMT

Whilst it is a mild start for many regions of southern and eastern England, further north and west wetter weather is already predominant. Indeed today in Scotland is set to be veritably inclement – strong winds for exposed western coasts, isles and hills, with some gusts exceeding 60mph, and easily 30mm of rain for these areas. Localised fluvial – watercourse – flooding may be an issue for these parts. Areas to the east of the Grampians and down into much of northern England, east of the Pennines - Yorkshire for instance - can on the whole expect a less dramatic day. Saturday’s chief mischief-maker is a lively cold front which, towards nightfall, having exited most of Scotland will begin to affect northern England, Wales and South-West England: It is this that will bring a relatively intensive period – maybe an hour or two – of wind and heavy rain as it sweeps through on its south-eastwards journey, eventually clearing South-East England in the early hours. Sunday will see all of the British Isles in a brisk westerly. Greatest activity will again be in Scotland, where bands of rain, hail, sleet and snow will lead to another rather unpleasant day. Snow will as usual be most likely for upland areas, though low-lying districts in the far north may also have a covering. England, Wales and Ireland will be faced with a chill and blustery kind of day: Any areas exposed to the westerly blow will feel the brunt of the wind and its associated showers. These look likely to group into two distinct bands of rather short-lived heavier activity, one crossing Wales and western districts of England in the morning – and heading eastwards, and the second – already into Ireland by tomorrow morning – rushing into Wales and England for the afternoon. Monday, some brief relief - before it all starts again on Tuesday as a further low-pressure system comes in across Ireland…

Mild End To February

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 00:16:14 GMT

The much milder second half of February that we are experiencing continues through to the end of the month before the new month brings a pattern change. High pressure is still centred close to the south of the UK and Ireland, and continues to feed in relatively mild Atlantic air in across all areas. However, the high is finally on the move now, and is gradually edging its way east and south-eastwards. This process will continue over the weekend, with pressure gradually falling across the country - a sign of what’s to come for sure. For Friday then and its another mostly dry and mild day for everyone. Any early drizzle will soon die away and the clouds will lift and thin, allowing some sunshine to break through. The best of the sunshine is likely towards the south and east of Britain, along with the highest temperatures - 14C or 15C quite likely in the London area. There will always be more cloud towards the north and west thanks to the westerly breeze bringing moist air from off the Atlantic, and outbreaks of rain are likely at times over western Scotland. More of the same for the start of the weekend, with another reasonable day in store on Saturday - perfect for getting some of the early gardening jobs done or for attending sporting events - but don’t be fooled into preparing the garden too much just yet. The frosts aren’t finished with us yet! Later on Saturday a cold front moving in from the west will bring rain to Scotland and Ireland, and this will spread southeast during Saturday night and into Sunday, weakening as it does so. This will allow brighter and cooler conditions to move into the northwest for Sunday with a few scattered showers. Next week is looking very unsettled with low pressure taking charge - more on this here on Metcheck as we go through the weekend!

March and lions…

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:39:05 GMT

Once again, for Thursday, a very rough north-south split: Scotland and northern parts of Ireland experiencing wetter and windier conditions – Shetland, for instance, has just come through a very unpleasant night, and during the course of the next 24 hours most of western Scotland in general will receive quite a soaking. As is often the case with westerly airflows, areas east of the Grampians can however expect a drier day. During the day this more mobile weather will make inroads into northern districts of England – especially Cumbria and Lancashire - and is likely to affect Snowdonia too. The rest of England, Wales and southern parts of Ireland will remain steadfastly beneath the stabilising influence of its anticyclone – for now. For some southern districts of England the day may even start sunny – the cloud cover will, alas, return quite quickly during the first part of the day. But, regime change is afoot. The start of March is likely to witness a systemic volte-face, with the High’s influence being progressively undermined by persistent low pressure currently building up over the North Atlantic. This will provide most of the UK with a lively start to March. The transition, over the weekend, looks set to be defined by an active cold front crossing the UK. Early Saturday it will begin its soggy and breezy work in north-western Scotland and, by Sunday, will probably be over southern and eastern England. Behind the front much more changeable conditions will prevail. Scotland may experience a further band of squally rain during Sunday. In the meantime Friday will see a very broad continuation of the two halves theme…

Two halves…

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 08:19:24 GMT

Weather-wise today, a kingdom of two halves. Scotland and Northern Ireland, already the other side of a cold front that is moving southeastwards through the UK, will have a breezy day with sunny periods and a few showers. Most of England and Wales meanwhile will remain under the resolute influence of its cloudy and, in places, drizzly High. This simplified story masks a damp variation: the cold front, and its attendant – though by now not widespread – rain will lay across an area roughly connecting Wales through to Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. During the day this feature will slowly continue its south-southeastwards journey, though by the time it reaches the south coast this evening it will have become much weakened and the rain much patchier. Temperatures everywhere will be somewhere on or either side of the 10 Celsius mark – very respectable for late February. Thursday is likely to see more rain move eastwards across Scotland and northern parts of Ireland. Here it will also remain quite breezy. Most of England and Wales on the other hand will stay beneath the influence of its High pressure. Friday? Little change. The weekend though looks to bring us all within a more westerly regime…

Staying mostly mild

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 08:32:23 GMT

Tuesday will be a largely similar day across the UK to Monday: a good number of places will see some sunshine, but there will also be a lot of cloud drifting around – this makes it quite hard to pinpoint exactly where the luckier locations will be. As a rule however it will be areas to the east of high ground – Aberdeenshire and Yorkshire again look favoured – that are most likely to benefit from very pleasant temperatures for late February. Late today a cold front will edge into north-western Scotland bringing some rain. As a result, by Wednesday, much of Scotland will be into a cooler and more unstable airflow, characterised by sunny spells and showers - these more likely in western districts and turning wintry over the mountains. Very gradually over the next few days the anticyclone that has been responsible for the fine weather across practically the whole of the UK will tend to restrict its benign influence to southern parts only. Northern regions though can expect to see breezier and more changeable conditions. It will stay generally mild for all - ideal for the daffodils...

Top spot? Aberdeen…

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 10:51:27 GMT

And so it goes on… we really should not complain - since the current weather is, on the whole, quite pleasant. It looks like the rest of the weekend, and early next week, will witness a continuation of the same theme. England and Wales on Saturday should have a bright day. Northern Ireland and western Scotland meanwhile are likely to see more cloud and rain, driven in from the west by Atlantic fronts. Watch out for Aberdeenshire, protected by the mountains - today’s star performer - where temperatures could reach a truly balmy 13/14C. In truth these values are likely for the London area as well. Sunday, unfortunately, is likely to see cloudier skies for just about all of us. This notwithstanding many districts across the UK will reach double figures Celsius. As stated, early next week seems destined to be quite similar – indeed, by Tuesday, any residual rain risk may only be limited to localities such as Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland. Have a good weekend, and try and enjoy the early springlike conditions.

Sun? Scotland…

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 09:41:14 GMT

Well, for a few days it seemed as though the High pressure that has taken up residence south-west of the UK would slip away to lower latitudes. The fact that it appears to have decided to go not very far at all translates to few short-term changes in our general conditions. Thursday’s best will be Scotland and Ireland, both regions having benefited from the overnight southeastwards passage of a weather front, leading to a slightly cooler day with much sunnier skies – but also overnight frost into Friday. Most of England and Wales meanwhile will keep the cloudy conditions, with some northern and western areas experiencing rain and drizzle brought along by the same, but now weakening, frontal band. This front will however have the virtue of clearing the air over England and Wales too by Friday morning, leading to a day of long sunny periods for most. By Saturday, with the anticyclone quasi-geostationary, it is difficult to envisage any radical changes. Northern parts - most of Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland – will however be closer to the rain-bearing influence of a further depression that will move west-east across the north of the High. Over the weekend the system’s cold front will make north-south progress through the country, and introduce a generally breezier and showery regime for most. Conditions such as this from May-September would give many of us very cheerful weather indeed. We are alas still only on the delicate cusp between winter and tentative, burgeoning spring…

Cold to return?

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 09:52:20 GMT

With lengthening days, birdsong, budding plants, mild temperatures and wonderful crocus clusters adorning parks, gardens and churchyards, the current weather in many places, especially across England and Wales, is quite pleasant indeed. High pressure has retained its location just off south-western regions of the British Isles: today - and most of tomorrow - will therefore continue the generally fine and mild theme. South-western regions in particular, together with some localities to the east of upland areas such as parts of Yorkshire, could even benefit from some delicious sunshine. Conversely some northern regions and eastern coastal fringes may experience a little light rain and drizzle. Late in the day tomorrow, and particularly during Thursday, a couple of fronts and their associated rain will start to make inroads into Britain from the north-west. In so doing they will also introduce somewhat cooler air for the end of the week. Thereafter, towards the weekend, an active low will transfer and be centred somewhere in the vicinity of Scotland - bringing gales and rain initially to northern regions of the UK. After that… yes, with the prospect of the low moving to the east of Scotland there are strong signals pointing to a northerly flow across most of Britain and a return to colder weather prior to the end of February. Here at Metcheck we will keep you informed over the next few days, as the detail starts to become more definite.