14/03/2016 Weather for the Week Ahead

Hello. You don't need me to tell you that over the winter months

the weather gave us a torrid ride with storm after storm,

some significant flooding in places, and that sort of weather

has continued into the first part of meteorological spring -

these pictures just from last week from Weather Watchers

across parts of central and eastern England,

more flooding downpours.

But the pictures coming in over the weekend have been much quieter,

much more spring-like - there's the scene from West Yorkshire.

So clearly something has changed in our weather,

and the clues, as ever, can be found in the jet stream,

that through much of the winter

has been running right across the Atlantic,

carrying storm after storm.

It has been almost relentlessly wet and windy.

But now, look at this. An area of high pressure has arrived.

A blocking area of high pressure

that's diverting rain-bearing weather systems to the north of us

or around us and into the Mediterranean.

So our weather this week predominantly settled.

There'll be question marks about cloud amounts,

temperatures under the cloud, frost and fog,

but no significant weather systems coming our way,

no significant rainfall on the horizon,

and many people may say "long may it last".

Let's look at things day by day

because no two days are going to be the same.

For Monday, England and Wales, early cloud clearing,

Scotland and Northern Ireland a sunnier day.

We all have long sunny spells into the afternoon.

Still the chilly wind for parts of the east and south

with single-figure temperatures, but warmest away from that breeze

in western Scotland - 13, 14 Celsius.

It will feel pleasantly warm.

Now if we look at the picture going into Tuesday,

I'm hiding here in the Atlantic a deep area of low pressure,

but we don't need to worry about that.

Remember I said this was a blocking high pressure -

it's blocking these weather systems coming our way on the jet stream,

they ride up over that area of high pressure so we stay settled.

But again, no two days are the same, so Tuesday is cloudier,

especially for England and Wales, and along this coastline here,

north-east England, through Yorkshire, maybe East Anglia,

risk of some sea fog moving in,

and there may also be a little bit of drizzle in places as well,

so not necessarily bone dry this week.

The picture for Wednesday, a weather front close to the south.

The only thing that's going to do is actually bring drier air

to parts of southern England and South Wales

which means sunnier conditions returning on Wednesday -

still rather cloudy, eastern Scotland and north-east England

still perhaps the chance of

getting a little bit of drizzle in places.

High pressure, then, still very much in control on Thursday,

weather systems into the Mediterranean,

an area of low pressure here so it will be wet,

potentially stormy in places.

But for us it's just a mixture of cloud, some sunny spells -

if anything, that breeze down towards the south of the UK

begins to ease a little bit and then right at the end of the week,

still high pressure right across us.

There may still be a touch of frost overnight

if you're clear for any period of time.

Again, there could be some fog patches in places to start the day.

It is likely throughout the week west is best, though,

for the sunny spells.

Temperatures around 8 to 10 Celsius, as you can see, for Friday.

And then going into next weekend,

and it's the weekend of the spring equinox,

which means after that the days get longer than the nights.

We've got high pressure still around.

There's a slim chance that it may start to break down

with weather systems trying to come in from the west or east,

but the preferred solution at the moment

is for that high pressure for the weekend,

even into the following week to still be close by,

and that means again most places will be dry.

Some days sunnier, cloudier than others,

still a risk of frost and perhaps some fog overnight.

When that area of high pressure

breaks down and clears and becomes more unsettled

is the big question, and we'll follow that

in these broadcasts this week.