Summer is just about returning...

WHILE reliable summer weather may be a little while off this week is set to see some dry and sunny weather.

Temperatures are set to reach 19°C in Cardiff today, 18°C in Pontypridd and 17°C in Llantwit Major, according to Met Office forecasts.

The Met Office’s regional forecast for Wales said: “Tuesday will see a good deal of dry weather, with some decent spells of sunshine. Perhaps the odd isolated shower is possible.

“Feeling pleasantly warm in the sunshine. Maximum temperature 21°C.”

For Wednesday to Friday, it says: “Bright start on Wednesday before rain arrives from the west later. This clearing to sunshine and showers or longer spells of rain Thursday and Friday. “Cool and windy on Friday.” BBC meteorologist Derek Brockway predicted today was one of the better days this week in terms of the forecast. He said: “Changeable this week but some dry weather and sunshine too!”

Channel 4 weather presenter Liam Dutton said it was to be “another unsettled week, but Tropical Storm Gert bumping into the jet stream may bring summer back”.

According to Dutton’s YouTube channel, the jet stream was briefly north of the UK, “giving some fine weather”.

The jet stream is made up of ribbons of very strong winds which move weather systems around the globe. Jet streams are found 9-16km above the surface of the Earth, just below the tropopause, and can reach speeds of 200 mph. The position of a jet stream varies – when we are positioned south of it we are likely to see warmer weather.

With the jet stream due to push southwards again this week it is set to see UK weather generally return to cloud, wind and rain.

But with Tropical Storm Gert having formed over the Atlantic Ocean, north of The Bahamas, if it pushes north-east as expected this week it may pass somewhere between the UK and Iceland.

Dutton said: “It’ll also bump into the jet stream, causing it to ripple northwards and change our weather pattern. This could potentially allow high pressure to build and bring a return to weather more like summer.”