20/01/2017 Weather for the Week Ahead

Hello. If you were watching yesterday evening,

I was telling you about how quiet

the weather picture is at the moment.

We've got high pressure sat across the country and that

will stay with us, certainly for the next six days and for some,

beyond that as well.

Of course, we've got that harsh,

winter cold weather across continental Europe and that

has been creeping into the UK and that process will continue

in the coming few days.

But with it,

we've seen some lovely sunshine.

Crisp weather as you saw there in London.

However, we've got a weak weather front across the country

so we're seeing some quite significant contrast as you

saw there in Derbyshire.

Of course, the cloud does mean that it will be a mild night for many,

but where the cloud breaks, perhaps the Vale of York, the north and east

and particularly across the southern half of the country,

there will be a harsh frost.

-6 again, -7.

Plus we'll have some fog.

But once it does clear,

the sunshine looks more abundant as we head into Friday morning.

Do watch out for some freezing fog across central areas first thing

and perhaps the north-east.

But there is a better chance of brighter weather for

Northern Ireland, for Wales,

the north Midlands, Lincolnshire compared with recent days.

But it won't be warm, 5 or 6 degrees generally.

Over the weekend, those temperatures will lower.

As I mentioned, we're pulling in that colder, continental air.

So, again, Friday night into Saturday looks cold and again

there's a risk of some freezing,

patchy freezing fog as we head into Saturday morning.

Again, there's little wind to clear it,

but it should eventually clear, then we will see some sunshine.

But there is a weak weather front.

That weak weather front still with us throughout the weekend.

Actually, through the weekend,

it might give us a little bit of sleet and snow.

Just a few flurries, just letting us know winter is still with us,

but no significant amounts, we don't feel.

Still, only 4 or 5 degrees. It will be a cold weekend.

But a usable weekend because it should be mainly dry

with some sunshine.

But chilly by day and chilly by night.

And that's the way we start the new week.

But we're moistening up the air somewhat through the weekend

and the early part of the week.

So fog is likely to become more of an issue and just in time

for the return to work on Monday, for the rush hour.

There could be some quite dense and fairly widespread patches

of fog Monday morning.

Freezing fog, of course, because we'll have those frosts by night.

These are daytime temperatures - 4s and 5s. Still pretty nippy.

Tuesday, still the same across the bulk of the UK, but towards

the north and west, we're dragging in the south-westerly wind.

More cloud, milder Atlantic air and some rain,

but it doesn't really amount to anything.

But it's the first go, if you like,

it's the first low pressure and weather system to have a go at

clearing out this dominant area of high pressure which

has been with us all this week.

That cold air across the continent really has established itself.

It's got a lot of inertia.

We've got to really work to move that high pressure out the way.

You can see what an area it covers.

But, as we go through the early part of the week,

we will find that these low pressures are starting to push in.

Their momentum starting to move the rain and the stronger winds

into the north-west of the UK.

So there's still high pressure and still that cold, continental feel.

But gradually, we'll get the milder Atlantic winds,

at least into the north and west and it's how quickly those start

to erode that area of high pressure which will determine

how quickly we see our weather change from this cold, crisp,

sunny weather to the rainy, wet weather in the north and west.

It will take quite a significant area of low pressure to move

it out the way and it does look like later next week we will have

some gales or severe gales moving in with some rain.

But, for the meantime,

fog particularly becoming a problem, more frosty nights.