After a balmy few days, expect the mercury to dip
IT HAS been pretty glorious spring weather for most of us this week, the wisteria in bloom, the skies largely blue, and temperatures tipping 24C (75F) in the warmest places thanks to a dominant area of high pressure. And that has lasted for the first half of this weekend, but things will begin to change today as low pressure pushes in from the west, bringing in rain and winds and pushing the mercury down to 17C (63F) at best by mid-week.
Today, then, sees the change. As the low pressure arrives, there will be a blanket of cloud in northern and western Scotland and Northern Ireland. England and Wales should start sunny and warm, but as the day progresses expect hazy cloud to develop. And it will be humid, with showers and even thunder possible anywhere later on. The warmest area will be south east England at 25C (77F), with East Anglia at 22C (72F), Wales and north west England 21C (70F), the central belt of Scotland 20C (68F) and south west England and Northern Ireland 18C (64F).
The new week will begin with unsettled conditions as the wind picks up and the rain increases, but the predominant wind direction remains southerly tomorrow and so that humidity sticks around. By Tuesday, as the low pressure drifts north eastwards, cooler winds will be drawn into Wales and central and southerly England with temperatures dropping to the seasonal average of 17C (63F). That sets a pattern for much of the rest of the week. There will be high pressure out in the Atlantic and, with luck, it will come our way for next weekend, returning us to sunshine.
While April in the UK broke no temperature records, globally it was the eleventh month in a row to be hotter than any previous April, 1.58C more than the estimated average for pre-industrial levels.