Outdoor pint on hold as Arctic wind blows in
NEVER have so many eyes been fixed on the forecasts as we all wonder when is the best moment to take advantage of our newly regained freedom to have a drink outdoors at the pub or eat on the decking of our favourite restaurant. Well, the good news is that after a chilly weekend it will get warmer as the week progresses. But with the warmth there is an increased risk of raindrops falling in the beer glass.
This morning will see the rain that yesterday afflicted south-east England gone. Much of the country will have a mixture of sunshine and showers.
The problem is the wind, blowing in from the Arctic and keeping things pretty cold. In some areas, especially over higher ground, showers may once again change to sleet and snow. Our white April continues.
The best of the temperatures will be down in the more sheltered southwestern corner of England and South Wales. Plymouth and Cardiff will both manage 50F (10C), nothing to get too excited about but better than the 45F (7C) all down the eastern seaboard – most exposed to the wind – and 46F (8C) in Birmingham, Liverpool and Belfast. Overnight into tomorrow, high pressure will start building in but, as the skies clear, the night-time temperatures drop. The week when we take our next big step on the road to normality will begin with a widespread frost.
A change in wind direction to south-westerlies, though, should see the mercury rising, to 54F (12C) on Tuesday and even 57F (14C) by Friday in some parts. The exceptions will be in Scotland, Northern Ireland and north-west England, where low pressure pushes in from the Atlantic bringing rain and colder air.
Later in the week, there will be a tussle between these two weather fronts – high, dry and largely sunny in most of England and Wales, but wetter, windier and colder in the north. It is not clear which will prevail.