04/05/2016 Weather for the Week Ahead

It feels like it's been a long time coming

but could this be the week

in which we can finally put the winter wardrobe away?

We've got a temperature trend on the up through the next few days.

For early May, we should see temperatures

roughly around 14 across the UK.

This is the general temperature trend, though, UK-wide

as we go through the weekend and into next week.

Of course, we're an island nation surrounded by water,

some will be a little bit lower than this,

some could get even higher -

mid 20s for some through the weekend.

But that trend to warmer conditions has begun.

For Wednesday, high-pressure to the south-east of us,

low pressure to the north-west.

We're bringing in a generally south to south-westerly flow

across the UK.

Not completely dry on Wednesday.

Weather fronts still close enough,

due to that low pressure system in the north-west,

to parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland.

Some outbreaks of rain but most'll have a dry day.

The best of the Sunshine through England and Wales.

Highs of 16-18 degrees.

But even the east of Northern Ireland and around the Moray Firth

could hit 13 or 14 Celsius.

Now, the weather front that comes in late Wednesday

tries to push its way south and east

but it's meeting with that area of high pressure

that I showed you to the south of the country.

And the weather front just tends to fizzle out.

So nothing more than a few splashes of rain by Thursday morning.

And the air's getting progressively warmer.

So no overnight frost expected.

And then Thursday itself, high pressure more to the east,

low pressure still to the north-west.

That weather front still sandwiched between the two

bringing a zone of slightly cloudy weather,

with maybe some rain or drizzle on the hills.

But, either side of it, some sunshine around.

A bit breezy across Scotland, with a few showers.

Not especially warm across the Hebrides.

To the south-east we could see temperatures around 20 Celsius.

Into the end of the week, high pressure is more dominant.

Low pressure starting to develop in the Bay of Biscay

and that switches the winds into a south to south-easterly direction,

bringing that ever-warming trend our way -

lifting temperatures across England and Wales under fairly sunny skies

into the low 20s. But even across Scotland, Northern Ireland,

we're looking at higher temperatures than last week.

The low pressure which is pushing that south-easterly wind

in our direction is very, very close

and as we go into the weekend

it will have a bit of an impact on the weather.

Temperatures may be rising but it won't be a clear cut of blue skies.

More clouds, some outbreaks of rain developing

across Scotland and Northern Ireland.

And as we see temperatures getting into the low, maybe even mid, 20s

across England and Wales, a few thundery showers possible.

But the south-easterly wind starts to push that cloud and rain

ever further from Scotland and Northern Ireland.

One or two showers possible.

By this stage, western Scotland could get close to 20 degrees.

Still a few heavy showers across England and Wales

just about possible.

But they should go away by Monday,

which is looking like a largely dry day

and, by and large, it's the first day

where just about all will be enjoying some of that warmth,

with a few notable exceptions.

I mentioned at the start we're an island nation.

The wind's coming in off the North Sea

and at this time of year

we're only just coming out of its coldest period.

Temperatures still, on the surface of the sea,

only eight or nine degrees.

Get the wind blowing across that

into some of these eastern coast of Scotland,

north-east England and, with a bit of mist and fog possible,

you will feel the chill, not quite as warm as elsewhere.

So we start the week with low pressure to the south-west,

high pressure to the south-east,

those south-easterly winds bringing in the warmth.

Some changes through the week.

It does look like that low pressure system

may just move a little bit closer.

High then becoming more dominant to the north-west of the UK.

So, to the south, we could start to see some thunderstorms

and, with that high pressure moving further westwards,

we start to bring in winds from the north-east again.

So it's a trend that starts off dry and warm next week.

Possibly turning a little bit cooler

and, with that low pressure dominant towards the south,

there's still the potential

for some further heavy and thundery downpours.

Either way, though,

at the moment it's not set to get as cold as it has been

and, at long last,

a well-deserved warmer spell on the way for just about all.

Bye for now.