12/10/2016 Weather for the Week Ahead

With weather patterns in the west of Europe

fairly blocked at the moment, in that they're not changing

in a hurry, we've been turning our attention

over the past week to the western Atlantic,

to see how that may influence things.

Our latest thing to watch out for is this -

Hurricane Nicole.

Strengthened during the latter stages of Tuesday

to hurricane status.

Could hit Bermuda on Thursday with

winds in excess of 100mph,

dangerous surf and torrential rain.

From then on, it looks like it'll push its way

northwards into the north-west Atlantic,

where it might actually meander

as we go into the weekend,

and in hanging around here,

it won't have any direct influence

to our weather, but into the latter stages

of next week, it may strengthen

the weather patterns enough -

the Jet Stream, that is - to push these areas

of high and low pressure out of the way.

This is what we've got at the moment.

High pressure stuck across Scandinavia

and, starting to come onto the scene,

this area of low pressure across Iberia.

Far away enough at the moment,

so for Wednesday, high pressure dominant,

easterly winds,

bringng occasional showers, lots of cloud

into eastern parts of the country.

One or two showers further west,

but some good breaks in the cloud,

some sunshine at times.

You'll notice, southern counties of England,

a lot cloudier - round the coast,

could be heavy showers.

Windiest conditions in the south.

Winds generally picking up UK-wide

by this stage, as an area of high pressure

sits across Scandinavia,

and the low pressure starts to get closer to it.

Closer they are, the stronger the winds tend to be.

And so a breezier day for all on Thursday,

and quite a cool breeze at that.

Like we'll have seen on Wednesday,

cloud mainly to the east

with occasional rain but that will

push its way westwards, slightly greater chance

of a few showers on Thursday.

Probably driest weather

across southern England and Wales,

the best of the sunshine.

But wherever you are, for some,

temperatures struggling to get into double figures -

add on the effect of the wind,

probably the coolest-feeling day of the week.

That will continue across northern areas on Friday.

On the northern flank of this area of low pressure,

the winds will be stronger -

Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England.

You'll notice the low pressure

is coming more into play by Friday.

So, some longer spells of rain pushing

into Wales, the south-west,

potentially across Ireland, too.

Something drier at times for the east,

but lots of cloud around,

and a real bite to that wind

as it pushes in, touching gale force

at times in the north.

Now, by Saturday and the weekend,

look how the low pressure

is the main, dominant feature of our weather

to the south-west of the UK.

Winds revolving around - still strongest

across Scotland and Northern Ireland,

northern England, fairly cloudy, here.

Longer spells of rain

pushing in towards the east.

Brighter weather through England and Wales,

though, further south,

in-between slow-moving, heavy and thundery showers.

Winds a bit lighter for the time being,

and it does feel a little bit warmer.

That low-pressure system pushes the west of Ireland

into Sunday, does mean the winds pick up

across England and Wales,

but it's a southerly wind, get a bit of sunshine,

feeling reasonably nice, there.

But showers possible just about anywhere in the UK,

some heavy and thundery,

and plenty of low clouds across eastern districts

of Scotland and north-east England.

So, we finish the weekend, going into next week

with, still, a blocked pattern.

The Jet Stream is strengthening across to North America,

but it splits, and so it doesn't really shift

the high pressure we have to the north,

and what we then have

is low pressure to the west of the UK.

So, into next week, with things slow-moving,

low pressure there, expect further cloud,

outbreaks of rain at times just about anywhere,

quite breezy with that, too,

although there will be drier and brighter moments.

How it feels in those drier, brighter moments

depends on when the low pressure sits.

If it's to the west, we drag in our air from the south,

in a slightly warmer direction.

If that low-pressure system moves to the north,

we drag in our air off the Atlantic.

It will feel a little cooler.

That's the main uncertainty for next week,

then, by the end of the week,

whether the Jet Stream strengthens enough

to clear that low-pressure system away.