0:00:01 > 0:00:03Hello there, and a very happy New Year to you.
0:00:03 > 0:00:06As we start 2017, let's just take a quick look back
0:00:06 > 0:00:08at how we ended 2016.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10The month of December was quite a mild month
0:00:10 > 0:00:13but also, unusually, quite a dry month, too.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16The driest conditions were to be found across the south-east
0:00:16 > 0:00:19of England, whereas towards the north-west of Scotland, rainfall
0:00:19 > 0:00:22amounts here were reasonably typical of the time of year.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24But the dry theme was down to a big area of high pressure that
0:00:24 > 0:00:26was often in charge of our weather.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29We've still got high pressure with us as we start 2017.
0:00:29 > 0:00:30This is how Monday is shaping up.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33Northerly winds rotating around that area of high pressure in
0:00:33 > 0:00:37the North Atlantic, which means we have a fairly chilly air mass.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39So the wind's coming from a north or north-westerly direction
0:00:39 > 0:00:43bringing some showers to Northern Scotland and Eastern England, too.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46They will be falling as sleet and snow over the higher ground,
0:00:46 > 0:00:49rain at lower levels, but for the most part it's dry, bright, crisp
0:00:49 > 0:00:52winter sunshine and temperatures around 3-6 degrees,
0:00:52 > 0:00:56so significantly cooler than we saw certainly over the festive period.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Heading through the course of Monday night you can see the blue hue
0:00:59 > 0:01:00returning to the map.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03It is going to be a particularly cold night on into the early hours
0:01:03 > 0:01:06of Tuesday through central and southern parts of the country.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09In rural spots, we could see -5 degrees or so,
0:01:09 > 0:01:11but things will turn a little bit milder.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14From the north-west, increasing amounts of cloud pushing in
0:01:14 > 0:01:15from the Atlantic.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17High pressure still with us as we head through the day
0:01:17 > 0:01:20on Tuesday but you'll notice these weather fronts just out
0:01:20 > 0:01:22towards the north and north-east, so quite a windy spell of weather,
0:01:22 > 0:01:25particularly for the Northern Isles and northern mainland parts
0:01:25 > 0:01:28of Scotland with a bit of rain and drizzle over the hills
0:01:28 > 0:01:31and around the coast towards the north-west of the country.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33Further south and east, that's your best bet of staying dry
0:01:33 > 0:01:36with some spells of wintry sunshine, and highs,
0:01:36 > 0:01:39by the time we get to Tuesday, at around 5-8 degrees,
0:01:39 > 0:01:41so still on the chilly side.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43And then as we work through the course of Tuesday night
0:01:43 > 0:01:46on into Wednesday, you can see those northerly winds once again
0:01:46 > 0:01:48extending a bit further south across the country.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51Slightly milder air out towards the south-west.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54That's how it looks as we head through Wednesday.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57High pressure sitting out towards the west of us in the
0:01:57 > 0:01:59Atlantic there, low pressure out in the east.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02So we've still got this northerly airflow with us, and again,
0:02:02 > 0:02:05that could bring a few scattered showers around exposed
0:02:05 > 0:02:07coastal areas, particularly towards the north and east.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11Inland, most places look bright and dry after some frost,
0:02:11 > 0:02:12potentially some fog to start off with, too.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14But as we head through Wednesday night,
0:02:14 > 0:02:16it's looking like yet another cold one.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19So once again, quite a widespread frost, I think,
0:02:19 > 0:02:21as we move through into the early hours of Thursday morning.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24And there could also be some mist and fog to contend with as well,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27so be prepared for some reduced visibility as we head through
0:02:27 > 0:02:31the middle of the week. Temperatures around 4-6 degrees, most of us.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33Quite a chilly day through the course of Thursday.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36But we will start to draw in more of a westerly influence to our
0:02:36 > 0:02:38weather as we look towards the end of the week,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41so this is Friday, and you'll notice that weather front in the north-west
0:02:41 > 0:02:44pushing its way south-eastwards across the country.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46It'll tend to fizzle out, so nothing too disruptive
0:02:46 > 0:02:49in terms of the weather, but we will see a spell of rain
0:02:49 > 0:02:52and breezy conditions moving slowly south-eastwards.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54And it'll be a little bit milder, too, so many of us back into
0:02:54 > 0:02:57double figures by the time we get to Friday.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00It's only a fairly short-lived milder spell because looking ahead
0:03:00 > 0:03:03now into next weekend, after the rain, we're seeing high pressure
0:03:03 > 0:03:06building in once again and a return to those northerly winds.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Some uncertainty about the exact direction of these winds.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12Could be a bit further north-west, perhaps a bit further north-east.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16So we could see some showers around but many places dry and frosty -
0:03:16 > 0:03:18scenes like the one behind me.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21So frost and potentially fog, and then on into the early part of
0:03:21 > 0:03:22next week it's looking cloudier,
0:03:22 > 0:03:26not quite as chilly, with the driest of the weather towards the south.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28I'll update you again tomorrow. Bye-bye.
0:03:30 > 0:03:31Join Alexander Armstrong
0:03:31 > 0:03:34as he explores Naples, Venice and Florence.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36It's like we're walking through a giant's armpit.