A daffodil in bloom does not a spring make
The daffodils are in bloom, the cherry blossom and magnolias are not far behind, and tulips are in bud and starting to stand up tall. So, that means spring is here? Well, for this weekend, yes, but you are going to be hardpressed to realise in some parts of the country in the coming week.
After what has been the wettest February on record in the UK, and warmest on record in Europe by a long margin (up 1.4C on the previous high), today will be largely sunny. The rain that began in the late afternoon of yesterday in Northern Ireland and the north west of Scotland will have passed over most of the UK while we were sleeping, and headed off elsewhere by the time most of us get up this morning.
The last unwelcome drops of rain may linger until lunchtime in the south-east corner of England, but once they have gone it is going to be a mix of sunshine and the occasional shower pretty much nationwide.
The wind may be a bit on the blustery side, but temperatures will be mild for the time of year: 54F (12C) in London, 50F (10C) in Cardiff and 48F (9C) in Belfast and Edinburgh. Enjoy it while it lasts, however, for tomorrow will usher in the next in what has feels like an unending line of low-pressure systems from over the Atlantic. That means rain, wind pretty much everywhere, and hill snow in Scotland.
And as the week progresses, the jet stream, that ribbon of air currents in the high atmosphere that blows our way from North America, will continue to be just as lively as lately, but will be dropping down further south over Europe. That will leave us on its chillier side, so prepare yourself for un-spring-like cold.