Get the brollies and windcheaters at the ready
HIGH pressure has been dominating our weather throughout this January, bringing largely settled conditions, with sunny days, chilly nights and frosty mornings. As we move into February, though, the rain and wind are set to return, with the latter especially welcome to get offshore wind turbines spinning and generating electricity.
The change began yesterday when a cold front started working its way into Scotland from the north west, accompanied by breezy conditions. By this morning that will have brought rain to Northern Ireland in particular, while in hilly parts of Scotland it will turn to snow. And as the day wears on those colder, wetter conditions will slowly work their way down over much of the country.
But it will all take time, so much of the south of England and East Anglia will have a dry Sunday, with decent sunny spells. Temperatures will be down, ranging from 50F (10C) in Cornwall and Devon to 45F (7C) in Glasgow and Edinburgh. As the daylight starts to fade, the mercury will take a tumble as that colder air blows in from the north west, bringing rain to western Wales.
By tomorrow, the weather system will be heading off into the North Sea, but that chilly wind, drawing on very cold air over north eastern Canada and Greenland, will make its presence felt. Though it will be blustery, there should be some sunshine.
As February begins, those milder south-westerlies that come with high pressure will be trying their best to return to southern England, but they will struggle to make headway as lows out in the Atlantic push in more wind and rain, mixed in with sunshine and temperatures on or slightly above the seasonal average. Looking forward to next weekend, expect something colder in northern parts, and even snow.