Metcheck.com UK Weather News

Spring Sunshine For Some

Sun, 21 Mar 2010 09:16:15 GMT

For most of the country today, it will be a dry day with plenty of spring sunshine around to enjoy, and a vast improvement on yesterday across much of England. There is a band of cloud and patchy rain affecting some western areas, but this is pretty weak and certainly won't bring a wash out, whilst the last of yesterday's cloud and rain is now clearing the southeast of England. This band of cloud is currently lying across eastern parts of Ireland, Northern Ireland and up towards western Scotland, with most of the rain that's currently falling over the west of Scotland. This band of cloud will head slightly further eastwards today, and may bring a few showers to western England and Wales before the day is out. For many though it will be a dry day with sunny spells, and temperatures close to or just above normal for the time of year. The last of that cloud and any showers will tend to fizzle out tonight and for much of England it will be a dry night with clear spells allowing some mist or fog patches to form. Further to the north and west, clouds will thicken once again as the next band of rain comes in from the west. This band of rain will move eastwards on Monday, but will again tend to weaken as it does so. Brighter skies and showers will follow into the west, whilst the south and east will remain dry, bright and mild for much of the day. The changeable outlook continues through the coming week, with Atlantic low pressure systems never too far away. Central and eastern areas will be dry and bright again on Tuesday, but the north and west will turn wet and windy. More rain is expected over western areas on Wednesday, with the east again staying mainly dry, but by the end of the week rain or showers will affect all parts.

Changeable Weekend

Sat, 20 Mar 2010 09:27:14 GMT

An area of low pressure is moving across much of England and Wales today, bringing plenty of rain and showers with it. Some of this rain is stretching up into southern Scotland, but for much of Ireland and Scotland it will be a dry and bright day, with these drier and brighter conditions spreading southeast to reach England and Wales tomorrow. There are some quite heavy bursts of rain around this morning across central and northern England, but the rain is rather more showery in nature towards the south. This rain will continue to drift eastwards today, with the continued risk of some heavy outbreaks at times. Somewhat drier conditions will move into southern and western England and Wales, but the best of the drier and brighter weather today will be across Scotland and especially Ireland where it will be a fine day with plenty of pleasant spring sunshine. The last of the rain and showers will gradually move away from east and southeast England tonight, but it will remain rather cloudy and mild here. Further to the north and west under the clearer skies, some frost and fog will form, but more cloud will move into western Ireland as the next system moves in. Sunday sees some changes, with many areas enjoying a much drier and brighter day with sunny spells. However, that band of cloud and mainly light rain will move across Ireland, reaching parts of western Scotland, Wales and England by the evening. The changeable theme continues into next week with more rain sweeping in off the Atlantic on Monday, with many areas turning drier and brighter for a time on Tuesday, although the northwest will probably be wet and windy.

Rain Heading In Later

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 05:47:27 GMT

It really was a glorious day across eastern parts of England yesterday with 18C being recorded across parts of Norfolk. It will be slightly cooler today after a cold front moved through overnight, but should still be a pleasant day with plenty of sunshine around. Whilst many parts will see a fine and dry day, there will be some showery rain at times across parts of Scotland, along with some strong and gusty westerly winds, although this should ease by this afternoon. Attention then turns to developments across the southwest as the next area of low pressure and its associated rain begins to develop and head in, reaching much of southern Ireland, Wales and southwest England by this evening. Temperatures in many areas will be around or just above normal, and it will feel pleasantly warm in the sunshine and lighter winds across central and southern areas. The rain in the southwest will spread to the rest of England, Wales and Ireland overnight to lie across northern England, southern Scotland and Northern Ireland by dawn on Saturday. Clearer skies and showers will follow into southern counties, with most of central and northern Scotland staying dry and chilly. Low pressure will bring a rather changeable weekend for many areas with outbreaks of rain or showers spreading in from time to time. It won't always be wet though, and there will be some sunny spells around, more especially on Sunday.

Warm In East

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 05:48:45 GMT

The warmest day of the year so far is expected across some parts today as a mild south-westerly wind blows in. The day starts off on a mild note with temperatures having stayed well above freezing overnight, and it wonâ€™t take too much in the way of sunshine to really lift those temperatures. The best of the sunny spells today will be across central and eastern areas of Britain, and we are looking for somewhere like the North Norfolk Coast to record the dayâ€™s high - around 17C (63F). As is often the case in spring time though, the fine and warm weather wonâ€™t last long as Atlantic weather systems will be pushing into western areas today. Therefore outbreaks of rain over Ireland this morning will spread further east to reach much of Scotland, Wales, west and south-west England by this evening, with brighter conditions following in across Ireland this afternoon. Some of the rain will be quite heavy in places, and will be accompanied by a brisk south-westerly wind too. The changeable theme continues through towards the upcoming weekend as well although temperatures will remain quite reasonable for the time of year. Tonight will see the rain push through across the rest of England and Scotland, clearing the east coast by the early hours of Friday. Clearer skies will follow, but scattered showers will affect the northwest, blown in on a strong west/south-westerly wind. Friday will be windy with blustery showers across northern Scotland, but many other areas will be fine and dry for most of daylight hours, before rain moves into the south on Friday night, setting up an unsettled weekend with rain or showers for many parts.

Sunshine Breaking Through

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 05:44:07 GMT

It's a rather disappointing start to the day across many parts this morning with a lot of cloud around along with some rain across some northern and western areas. However, skies should brighten as we go through the morning, and the afternoon will end up fine and pleasant for many areas. The cloudy and damp start is being brought about by a weakening weather front that’s crossing Britain. Most of the rain is across Scotland, with some drizzly bits and pieces across other western areas, but this should tend to peter out as we go through the morning. Some western and southern coasts will then remain rather cloudy and murky with some sea fog rolling in, but for many central and eastern areas of both Britain and Ireland the cloud should begin to lift and break up, with sunny spells appearing. The best of the sunshine will be across south-eastern parts this morning, albeit on the hazy side at times, and the sunny spells will last here for most of the day, helping temperatures up towards the 15C mark, making it feel very spring like indeed. Many other parts will see temperatures into double figures as well, so not a bad day. Many parts will remain dry tonight with some clear spells, but frost shouldn't be of an issue with temperatures remaining comfortably above freezing. Later in the night, thickening cloud will bring some rain in across the far west of Ireland, and this rain will gradually head eastwards during Thursday. For many central and eastern areas though, tomorrow looks like being another dry and bright day, and it could be a touch warmer with high's of around 16C (61F).

Reasonable...For Now

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:40:16 GMT

A pretty decent mid-March day is in store for most of Britain and Ireland today thanks to a ridge of high pressure affecting most areas. There will still be some large areas of cloud around, especially over central and eastern areas, but most places will see some pleasant sunny spells. The best of the sunshine will be towards southern and southwest England and Wales for much of the day, but this is where the coldest temperatures can be found this morning with a frosty start. Temperatures will soon recover in the sunshine though, and for many parts highs of 11C to 13C can be expected. It's a slightly different story across Ireland though, as an approaching Atlantic weather system will bring more cloud in and some patchy rain too. This rain will tend to become heavier and more persistent by this evening, with the southerly winds freshening too. This rain will move across the rest of Ireland tonight as well as much of Scotland by Wednesday morning. Some light rain may also affect northern England for a time, but will be mostly patchy in nature, and for much of England and Wales there will be little more than a band of cloud and patchy drizzle passing through overnight. Wednesday is looking rather cloudy in many areas, and a few light showers are likely. Some bright or sunny spells will break through, especially across eastern areas sheltered from the brisk south-westerly winds, and this is where the highest of the temperatures will be found - perhaps as high as 15C in one or two spots. The east looks like being fine and warm on Thursday, but overall the trend for the end of the week is still looking increasingly unsettled and windy with rain or showers moving in from the west though, so we'd advise making the most of the next couple of days!

Best Towards The Southwest

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 05:44:49 GMT

There's something of a northeast/southwest split to our weather today with the best of the dry and bright conditions appearing the further south and west that you are. A weather front across north-eastern areas is bringing a lot of cloud and some outbreaks of rain to parts of Scotland this morning, and this rain is expected to slip further south to affect parts of northern and eastern England during today. The rain will generally be on the light side for many, but one or two heavier bursts cannot be ruled out. Brighter skies will follow into Scotland during the day, although the northeast will probably stay rather showery. Meanwhile, its a much drier and brighter picture for much of England, Wales and Ireland to start the new week, although there are some patches of fog around over Ireland, Wales and southwest England in particular. This fog should soon lift, leaving many southern and western parts with a dry day and plenty of sunny spells around. Temperatures will respond well to the sunshine, with highs of 14C likely in one or two places. However, it will be cooler towards the cloudier north and east, and there will be quite a brisk wind blowing here too. Tonight looks like being a cooler night generally, and there will be some patchy fog and frost to watch out for. Cloud amounts will vary though, so some areas will escape a frost whilst other parts could see quite a sharp frost for a time. However, this means that Tuesday will be a dry and bright day with some sunny spells, and temperatures will soon recover after the chilly start. Again there will be variable amounts of cloud around, and this cloud is likely to thicken from the west on Wednesday, heralding more unsettled conditions for the end of the week.

Signs Of Spring

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 06:57:42 GMT

After a spell of over 3 months without seeing temperatures into double figures in many areas, this weekend looks like finally seeing the return of these milder temperatures with many parts expected to reach double figures in the next day or two. These conditions should help encourage the first signs of spring to really start appearing over the coming days with the season already delayed by a few weeks. Of course, after the prolonged spell of chilly weather, it will probably feel much milder than normal although in reality temperatures are merely returning to near normal values. The reason for the milder conditions is high pressure sitting close to the southwest of Britain, allowing milder air to come in around the top of the high with the source of this air coming from the Azores region. With high pressure close by, it will be a dry day for most places today with some sunny spells from time to time. There is still a fair amount of cloud drifting around however, and across north-western areas this cloud is likely to bring a few showers as well. In addition to the showers, the north-westerly breeze is a little stronger here, so it will still actually feel rather cool across the north. Not a lot of change overnight, with variable amounts of cloud and some clear spells. Many places should remain frost free, but a touch of frost and some fog patches may form over Ireland for a time. For tomorrow, Mother's Day, it looks like a fine day for Ireland, but a scattering of showers will break out elsewhere and a few of these could be on the heavy side.

Sharp Showers In East

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:47:38 GMT

A weak front moving southwards overnight brought some rain, mainly across eastern districts, and is introducing a brisk northerly flow across Britain and Ireland today. This chilly wind will bring a scattering of showers today, mostly across eastern England once the last of the overnight rain clears away to the south this morning. There is a lot of cloud around across most parts, and this will continue to come and go throughout the day. There will be some bright and sunny spells as well, especially across western areas, and later northern areas. Meanwhile, showers will break out across much of England during today, and some of these will turn out to be on the sharp side across central and eastern areas. With some cold air still around, some hail is expected in the heavier showers, and the odd rumble of thunder cannot be ruled out either. Most of the showers will die out as we go into this evening and tonight with many areas becoming dry with some clear periods. There will still be some large areas of cloud around, but where the skies do clear, temperatures will fall sharply, allowing some frost and fog patches to form, especially over central areas. Looking at the weekend, and it looks like somewhat milder air will finally begin to move in across the country, and temperatures in many areas could well make double figures - for the first time in several months in some parts! There will still be a lot of cloud around over the weekend, but there will be some sunny spells around. Some showery rain is likely across northern parts at times, but many areas should see a fair amount of dry weather so not a bad weekend weather wise.

Changes From The North

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:42:34 GMT

The area of high pressure that has kept the weather so quiet over recent days is now beginning to retreat away towards the west somewhat, and this will allow something of a change to come down from the north over the next 24 hours or so. For the time being there won't be a lot of change across much of Britain with another mainly dry day in store. It's another frosty start across much of Ireland, Wales, central and northern England thanks to the clear skies overnight. It does mean a sunny start to the day though, and this sunshine will continue for much of the day, although it will turn increasingly hazy from the north across northern England and Northern Ireland this afternoon. In the meantime, the cloud currently across south-eastern parts of England will slowly begin to break up somewhat, and some sunny spells are likely here before the day is out. It's a slightly different picture across Scotland as a weak weather front will be working its way southwards today, bringing a band of cloud and patchy rain with it, as well as some rather breezy conditions. Brighter conditions will follow into the north, but a few showers are likely as the winds veer more northerly. That front will continue its journey south tonight, reaching Wales, the Midlands and East Anglia by Friday dawn, before clearing away to the south by Friday lunchtime. The cloud and breeze in many areas will prevent too much in the way of frost tonight, although it will be cold across southern Britain in the first half of the night. A moderate northerly breeze for tomorrow will bring a mixture of sunny spells and scattered showers, most of the showers towards central and eastern areas. The weekend then looks like becoming less cold, but there will still be a lot of cloudy, if dry, weather around with high pressure close to the southwest of Britain drawing in Atlantic air around the top of it.

More Of The Same

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:43:34 GMT

High pressure continues to dominate across Britain and Ireland today meaning that the settled weather stays with us for the time being. Once again variable amounts of cloud are making the difference as to seeing fine, sunny days and frosty nights, or dull, chilly days with frost free nights. It is a frosty start again this morning across much of Scotland and Ireland, whilst many parts of England and Wales are cloudy with temperatures just above freezing. As we go through the day we are once again expecting very little change, with most of the cloud persisting across the south and east. Some breaks may occur, allowing the sunshine through, but the best of the sunshine will again be found towards the north and west. Later in the day, an approaching weather front will bring thicker cloud to northern Scotland, but it should remain dry until later tonight. Elsewhere, clearer skies will again lead to the formation of some mist and fog patches, along with another frost, but where the cloud hangs around temperatures will stay above zero. Looking ahead to tomorrow, and that cloud across northern Scotland will continue to edge south, bringing some patchy outbreaks of rain with it. The rest of Britain and Ireland will see a dry and bright day with some sunny spells for most areas, even towards the southeast where the cloud has been most stubborn over the last day or two.

Sunny For Some

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:48:07 GMT

The best of the weather today is expected to be towards the west with another fine and sunny day in store for much of Ireland. Some southern and western areas of England, Wales and Scotland will also see some sunny spells, but for many central and eastern parts it will be rather cold and cloudy day. The cloud will be thick enough for a little light rain and drizzle close to eastern coasts as well, and with a north-easterly breeze it will feel quite raw out there. The upside of the cloud cover is that it stopped temperatures from falling below freezing overnight, but will prevent them from rising too much today. Meanwhile, after the frosty start in northern and western areas, temperatures will recover to nearer normal values here. Not much change is expected tonight with south-eastern areas set to remain mostly cloudy with a little drizzle in places and frost-free. However, the clearer skies towards the north and west will result in another widespread and quite sharp frost forming yet again in places. Wednesday sees more of the same generally, although thicker cloud will arrive across northern Scotland. This will be in advance of a weather front that will slip southwards later in the week, bringing a little rain with it - especially across northern and eastern districts.

Cloud Incoming

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 05:44:32 GMT

It really was a super day across much of the country yesterday with wall to wall sunshine across virtually all parts. Despite the sunshine, it was a cold day though with temperatures only climbing a few degrees above freezing, before falling back well below zero again overnight just about everywhere. It wasn't sunny everywhere however, as more cloud affected parts of Scotland, and it is this cloud that will spoil the day somewhat across eastern areas of England today as it begins to roll in from the northeast. Satellite pictures this morning show large areas of cloud over the North Sea, and these are ready to invade as we go through the day, meaning that much of eastern England is likely to end up rather dull and cold before the day is out. On the other hand, for many central and western areas it will be another fine and sunny day with the early frost slowly easing. Temperatures will recover from the very low values this morning (below -5C in many inland districts), to maximums of 4C to 7C generally, and it will feel pleasant in the sunshine and out of the chilly breeze, which incidentally will still be quite brisk close to the south coast. Frost will form again widely this evening soon after sunset, and for western areas another sharp frost is due tonight. It will be a slightly different story for central and eastern areas though as that cloud really begins to take over, allowing temperatures to climb back above freezing, and some drizzle is likely to break out near to eastern coasts by the morning. Looking ahead towards Tuesday and Wednesday, and it looks like Scotland and Ireland will see the sunniest conditions with England and Wales seeing much more in the way of cloud feeding in from the east, making it feel chilly in the north-easterly wind.

Sunday Delight

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 09:42:12 GMT

A beautiful sunny day is in store for much of Britain and Ireland today as high pressure continues to sit close to the country, bringing the fine and settled conditions. Colder and clearer air moved in from the east overnight, which brought a widespread frost this morning. One exception will be across Scotland today where there is more in the way of cloud around, but even here we are hopeful that some sunny spells will break through from time to time. For the most part however it will be virtually unbroken sunshine from dawn to dusk, and whilst it will be rather chilly out there, the sunshine will make it feel pleasant out of the cold wind. The wind will be strongest close to southern England, where quite a brisk easterly is blowing through the English Channel making it feel really rather cold. Once the sun goes down this evening, temperatures will drop like a stone once more and another widespread and hard frost will form across most parts. This means another glorious start to the day is expected on Monday morning, and while many areas will stay fine and sunny, eastern areas will become disappointingly cloudy and cold as cloud begins to spread in from off the North Sea. For much of the rest of the week it will then be a case of many areas staying dry and settled, but with large amounts of cloud drifting around keeping temperatures on the chilly side. Frost will develop by night under any cloud breaks, with some sunny spells developing in places by day.

Turning Brighter For Many

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 08:43:58 GMT

There's a real variation in the weather across Britain and Ireland this morning with some areas starting off fine and sunny but also frosty in a few places, whilst other areas are cloudy and damp with temperatures above freezing. Most of the frost this morning is over Ireland and there are one or two fog patches around as well. Sunnier skies also greet parts of southwest England, Wales, Northern Ireland and East Anglia, and as we go through the day we are expecting more in the way of sunshine to break through in many areas. The cloudy and damp weather, predominantly across central and northern areas of both England and Scotland, will tend to ease away during the day as it edges further west. These cloudier conditions are associated with a weak cold front moving in from the east which will bring that clearer and colder air into eastern counties during the day, and lead to a hard frost forming tonight across most of England and Wales. There will still be more cloud hanging around over Scotland and Ireland overnight, but clearer slots will mean some patchy frost is likely. High pressure centred close to eastern England tomorrow will bring a glorious Sunday to many parts of the country with a lot of sunshine. This sunshine will spread to many parts of Scotland and Ireland as well, although the far northwest will remain cloudy. Despite the sunshine, it will be cold as we draw some chilly air in from the continent, and frost will form widely again on Sunday night. The dry and settled outlook continues throughout next week as high pressure remains close-by. However, it does look like increasing amounts of cloud will get caught up under the high, meaning there will be a lot of dry, quiet and cloudy weather around and temperatures will remain on the chilly side because of this.

Cloud Increasing

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:45:01 GMT

A large area of high pressure centred close to Ireland is the dominant feature of our weather today, and will continue to be for many days. However, there is a slight complication in the form of a weak weather system thats going to make its way down the North Sea today. This system will be responsible for the increasing amounts of cloud that will be drifting southwards across the country today, which will bring a little rain and hill snow to the north and east. The cloud has meant that temperatures are back above freezing across much of Scotland this morning, but it is generally a frosty start to the day for most parts. It will be a sunny start across much of England, Wales and Ireland, but cloud will be increasing from the north all the time, and by this afternoon all but the far south and west will be mostly cloudy. This cloud will bring some patchy rain to other northern and eastern areas, but nothing too significant is expected. Many central and eastern areas will be cloudy tonight with further patchy outbreaks of light rain, but this will help to prevent too much in the way of frost forming. Clearer skies are expected over Ireland, where frost and fog will become more of a feature. Looking ahead towards the weekend, and Saturday will start rather cloudy, but it should gradually turn brighter although central areas may remain cloudy and damp. Sunday is looking the sunnier of the two days, with many parts seeing a much brighter day. It will remain chilly throughout, although in any sunshine it will feel pleasant if you can get out of the chilly breeze.

Sunnier Skies

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:59:28 GMT

It's looking increasingly likely that high pressure will dominate our weather for much of the next week at least as it becomes slow moving over or close to the UK. This means many areas will see some very welcome dry weather but it won't necessarily warm up much with the nights in particular likely to remain rather cold and frosty. After the cloudier skies of yesterday, breaks developed overnight and this allowed a frost to form in many areas away from the south of England where a south-easterly breeze kept temperatures just above zero. Therefore many parts can expect to see more in the way of sunny spells around today, and out of the wind it will feel quite pleasant despite maximum temperatures being close to or just a tad below normal. One exception is over Scotland where a weak weather front moving in from the northwest will bring thicker cloud and some patchy rain, sleet and snow for a time. This will tend to die out tonight, with clear spells bringing a widespread frost once again by Friday morning. However, another area of cloud, rain, sleet and snow will reach northern Scotland later in the night, and this will move south across England and Wales during Friday, clearing by Saturday. A chilly and bright weekend then looks likely as high pressure takes complete control, although it may be breezy in the south at times, and this high then looks like hanging around well into next week.

Cloudier Skies

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:43:48 GMT

High pressure centred close to eastern Britain will bring many parts a mostly dry day today, if rather on the cloudy side. There will be some rain over Ireland as a weak weather front tries to move in from off the Atlantic, but this front will make very little eastwards progress. It's a chilly start to the day everywhere, with frost across northern and eastern areas where the cloud remained broken for longest overnight. Western areas are frost free thanks to thicker cloud, and across Ireland there is some rain around. This rain will tend to slowly ease away as we go through the day, but may turn sleety over higher ground for a time. The rest of the country will be dry with some bright or sunny spells, but generally there will be a lot of cloud drifting around. Temperatures won't be quite so high today, especially in the south where a freshening east or south-easterly breeze will start to pick up, making it feel colder. There won't be a lot of change tonight, although skies will tend to clear across central and northern areas, leading to another widespread frost. It may be slightly less cold towards southern England with more of a breeze blowing some cloudier skies in here. Looking ahead to the next couple of days, and tomorrow sees the dry and reasonably settled conditions continuing with sunny spells for many areas. Later in the day, cloud will thicken in the north and rain will arrive here on Thursday night with a frost forming elsewhere, before that rain drifts further south on Friday, accompanied by a chilly breeze.

2009/2010 Winter - Coldest In Recent Times

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:41:58 GMT

A fine and frosty start to the day greets most parts of Britain and Ireland this morning with clear skies and light winds overnight allowing temperatures to fall sharply and some mist patches to form. Minimums of below -10C were recorded over Scotland again as the winter cold hangs on here. As we are now into the first month of spring, in meteorological terms at least, then the final figures are coming in for Winter 2009/2010 which include the months of December, January and February. First indications suggest that across England and Wales it was the coldest winter since 1978/79, whilst across Scotland and Ireland it was the coldest since 1962/63. For the UK as a whole, it looks like the mean UK temperature was 1.5C, which would make it the lowest since 1978/79 when it was 1.2C. Back to today's outlook, and a very similar day to that of yesterday is in store with most parts seeing a dry day with plenty of sunny spells. However, some changes will occur over Ireland as thicker cloud begins to move in from the Atlantic, and this cloud may well bring outbreaks of rain into the far west by this evening. Temperatures will be close to normal for many, but still cold over Scotland, although it will feel very pleasant in the sunshine. The cloud in the west will continue to edge further eastwards tonight, but it won't prevent another frost from forming in many central and eastern areas. It will be a little milder towards the west as a band of rain slowly moves across into central Ireland overnight. This rain will remain slow moving tomorrow, and could even bring a little snow to high ground as it turns a little colder again. Meanwhile, the rest of the country will see a cloudier day, but there will still be some sunny spells around. As the south-easterly winds freshen, it will start to feel a bit colder once again, especially towards the south where those winds will become quite brisk.

Fine For Many

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:42:16 GMT

The drying out process can begin today across south-eastern areas with a very different day in store compared to that of yesterday. Over an inch of rain fell in places, bringing numerous flood warnings - please check the Environment Agency's website if you are concerned about the risk of flooding. Sadly the storm that brought the wind and rain to our shores yesterday brought even worse conditions over the near continent and resulted in the loss of at least 50 lives over western Europe as winds gusted to over 80mph and torrential rain brought flooding. The UK lies under a col today with high pressure to the north and south, whilst low pressure is to the east and west of the country. This means that winds will be very light in many areas, and there will be a fair amount of dry and sunny weather around after early frost lifts. It won't be totally dry everywhere as a few showers will break out over southern counties of England, and a few wintry showers will affect northern districts. Temperatures will recover in the sunshine, and whilst northern districts will stay rather chilly, double figure maximums are expected in the south. Frost will soon form again tonight though under clear skies, and there could be some mist and fog patches forming too. Tomorrow and Wednesday look like being predominantly fine days with sunny spells so plenty of opportunity for the flood waters to recede over the next few days across the southeast.

Sunday Storm Update

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 09:49:11 GMT

We have been talking about it for a few days now, and it has finally arrived. Yes, the storm system that has brought heavy rain and severe gales to parts of Spain and France is now tracking close to the southeast of England, bringing a very wet and windy Sunday for the south-eastern quadrant of Britain. The good news is that the low has taken a slightly further eastwards track than the forecast models suggested, so it won't be quite as wet or quite as windy as it could have been, but nonetheless it will still be a thoroughly miserable day across East Anglia and southeast England. The rain will slowly ease from the west, but it will probably be after dark before the extreme east dries up. Of course, with the ground already saturated from recent rainfall, the flood risk will be increasing, and we'd urge anyone who is concerned about this to check the Environment Agency's website - the link can be found in our Severe Weather Warning. Meanwhile, the rest of Britain and Ireland will probably be wondering what the fuss is all about with many areas seeing a dry day with sunny spells. The best of the sunshine will be over Ireland and northern Scotland, but there will be a few showers around as well, and some of these could be on the wintry side as it will be rather cold out there. The last of the cloud and rain will gradually pull away from eastern England tonight, and then most areas will see a dry night with clear spells developing. There will be a few wintry showers around, but these won't prevent a widespread frost from forming along with icy surfaces so this is something to watch out for first thing on Monday. Monday will be a vast improvement for the southeast of the country with a dry day in store with plenty of sunny spells. This goes for the rest of the country too, although there will be a few showers scattered around. Monday night will see another widespread frost and then Tuesday will be another dry and bright day for many, although cloud and outbreaks of rain will move into the northwest.

Sunday Storm

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 10:19:32 GMT

The main talking point of this weekend's weather is going to be the storm system that will affect much of England tomorrow, bringing with it some very wet and very windy weather. This system is now winding itself up to the west of Portugal, and will bring heavy rain and severe gales to northwest Iberia and France today and tonight. Back to the UK, and looking at today first, and its a relatively quiet story compared to what is coming tomorrow. There is a fairly slack pressure pattern across the country, but with pressure rather low this means there will be some showers around today. Most of the showers will be across England and Wales, and some of them could be quite heavy too. Some showers are also expected across Ireland, whilst over Scotland it is an improving picture with the last of the rain and snow finally dying away and conditions brightening up. Temperatures are still on the cold side in Scotland, but the further south you are, the higher the temperature will be. The showers will die out across most areas this evening, and frost and fog patches will develop over Scotland and parts of Ireland. However, thickening cloud and freshening easterly winds across England and Wales will herald the arrival of that storm system. Outbreaks of heavy rain will sweep in across much of central and southern England overnight, probably reaching as far north and west as northern England and Wales. The heaviest of the rain is expected across southeast England, with over an inch of rain likely to fall quite widely and cause serious flooding concerns with the ground already saturated - please see our Severe Weather Warning for the latest updates Sunday will then be a washout for many south-eastern areas of England with persistent and heavy rain along with strong to gale force north/north-easterly winds making it feel raw. Scotland and Ireland on the other hand will be much drier and brighter with some sunny spells, if rather cold., and these drier conditions will slowly move into northern and western parts of England and Wales by the afternoon. The last of the wind and rain will clear the east on Sunday night, with Monday and Tuesday looking much better with sunny spells and a few scattered showers.

Weekend Watch

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:44:42 GMT

More snow has fallen across central and northern Scotland overnight, and further outbreaks of snow are expected in these areas today, although they should begin to ease in intensity and start to drift further south. It could well be that parts of southern Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England see some more snow developing later today and into tonight, and there could be some accumulations over higher ground in particular. Meanwhile, its a cloudy and wet start to the day across much of central and northern England, with the driest of the weather to be found across Ireland, Wales and southwest England. As we go through the day, the drier and brighter conditions in the southwest will spread to many central and southern parts of England with some pleasant sunny spells on offer this afternoon. It will remain cloudy further north, with further outbreaks of rain, sleet and snow, although the far north of Scotland will turn drier. Temperatures will still be cold in the north, but near normal in the south. The rain and snow continues over the same regions tonight, with many other areas dry, clear and chilly. However, later in the night, we are expecting further showery rain to spread into southern England and Wales, and some of this could be on the heavy side. Looking ahead to the weekend, and the changeable theme continues. Saturday will see outbreaks of rain or showers in many areas, although these should tend to become lighter during the day, and again snow will fall over northern hills. Sunday continues to give us concern, with some very wet and windy weather set to move in from the south across England and Wales. There is some hope on the horizon though, in that drier conditions may well develop as we go through next week.

No Great Change

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:45:40 GMT

There's still no real sign of anything remotely spring-like affecting Britain and Ireland in the foreseeable future - in fact winter very much continues over much of Scotland today with further snow expected here at times. The weather front that brought yesterday's rain and snow across northern Britain is still there today, having become very slow moving. Further outbreaks of snow will bring notable accumulations across high ground once again, although rain or sleet is more likely close to coasts and over southern parts of Scotland. More details can be found in our Severe Weather Warning. Meanwhile, its a quiet start to the day across England, Wales and Ireland, albeit rather misty and murky in many areas with some fog patches around. The good news is that there isn't much frost around this morning, with it being a milder start for many southern counties. Some brighter spells should develop as we go through the morning, but by this afternoon cloud will be thickening across southern England again as the next band of rain heads in. This means a wet evening is in store across Wales, central and southern England as that rain moves north, and there could be some heavy rain at times too. The rain will head further north into northern England overnight, with showers following on, but much of Ireland may well miss out on the rain. In the meantime, the rain and snow over Scotland will still be falling, although it will gradually become lighter. Friday is looking very changeable with further rain or showers across the country, and again some snow over northern districts. Saturday could well be a drier and brighter day, although some showers are still likely, but by the time we get to Sunday we will be watching a nasty area of low pressure moving up from the south. This system looks like bringing some very stormy weather to north-western Iberia on Saturday, and could bring a wet and windy end to the weekend across the south of the UK. More on this in the next few days.

Snow For The North

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:39:32 GMT

A deep area of low pressure will be centred close to southern England for much of today and will dominate the weather across most of Britain and Ireland. A frontal system will become slow moving over northern England, southern Scotland and Northern Ireland, and could bring some heavy snowfalls to some of these areas. Rain is likely around the coasts though, and the snow will tend to turn back to rain across northern England and Northern Ireland later on today. This is our main concern for today, as some quite significant snowfalls could occur over the higher ground of these areas, bringing some disruptive conditions. Please see our Severe Weather Warning for more details on this. Later today, the snow will make its way further north across Scotland, with some heavy falls likely in many inland areas. To the south of this rain/snow band, its a milder picture as the winds veer to the south and turn lighter. Its a misty start in many parts, with a lot of cloud around. There is also some showery rain around, especially across southern counties, and this sums up the story for much of England, Wales and Ireland during the day with plenty of cloud dominating and some showery rain from time to time. Temperatures here will be close to normal, and feeling much milder than recently, but it will still be cold across northern Britain. The snow threat persists tonight across Scotland and parts of Northern Ireland, and again there could be some potentially heavy falls giving accumulations of up to 15cm over the high ground of Scotland. Elsewhere will see a lot of cloud again, with showers slowly dying out. It will become misty and murky with some fog patches forming and the odd touch of frost, but for many parts it will be a frost free night. Further rain and snow is likely over Scotland and Northern Ireland tomorrow, whilst it will be a murky and damp start across the rest of the country. Attention will then turn towards the south again as the next area of heavy rain begins to move in by Thursday afternoon, bringing a wet night for much of England and Wales on Thursday night.