21/04/2017 Weather for the Week Ahead

Hello.

This Weather For The Week ahead forecast just about takes us

to the end of May but, would you believe it,

it looks as if winter is returning early next week.

In the sunshine, it feels glorious, and we had 19 degrees

in eastern Scotland, some beautiful sunshine

in north-east England on Thursday.

It was a cloudy affair predominantly.

This was more akin to the rest of the UK, Stone in Staffordshire.

But it certainly wasn't a disappointment.

There will be plenty more dry weather on Friday as well.

Perhaps some early fog south of the M4.

You can see our weather front is sinking its way south,

so it will be a different day for the east of Scotland

in particular.

Cloudy here and much cooler as well, 10 and 11.

There is still the potential in the south, if we see

the breaks in the cloud, for 16 or 17 degrees,

which is above average for this time of year.

And it will remain above average where we see the sunshine this

weekend, despite that cold air making its way southwards.

That will give us some chilly nights with the risk

of a touch of grass frost, but the high pressure will mean

that the weather front will be quite weak and there won't be a great deal

of rain on it.

For many of us, it's just predominantly cloudy on Saturday,

to start, then some breaks come in the cloud, but we are

behind that cold front.

There will be some sunshine coming out.

Quite a different day potentially for the Midlands,

having had a day or two of cloud, but where we keep the cloud

it still feels chilly, particularly in that wind.

To the south of that, we've got that milder air.

We keep a very similar sort of weather picture on Sunday,

although there's a difference in the north, but we are watching

this area of low pressure.

We've been talking about it all week.

It could be bringing us severe gales and some very wet weather,

so it's one to watch.

It just looks at the moment as if it will be for the northern half

of the UK, particularly northern Scotland.

Severe gales here.

For many of us, Sunday isn't a bad day.

It's very usable weather, that rain later in the day,

and we could see 16, despite it being colder air,

just because of the strength of the sun at this time of year.

So it does look quite aggressive, that low pressure, but it's starting

to move out of the way, and it's allowing a northerly

wind to come southwards, and a much colder air stream right

down from the Arctic, so true cold air, and it really

will be a shock to the system for some of us and, indeed,

we will see some wintry showers, and not just at higher levels.

It all takes place, the change, behind this cold weather front.

Not a great deal of rain, we don't think, on the weather system,

although it will provide for a cloudy day in southern

areas but, behind it, we open those northerly winds up,

and there will be lots of showers around, with hail and thunder

and sleet and snow.

It's a strong wind at times, squally as well, so it

will accentuate the chill.

We could still see 15, just about, that milder air just hanging

on in the south on Monday.

But, by the end of Monday, not just a shock to our system

but also for the flora and fauna so, gardeners and growers, beware.

But some big hail certainly possible from those big

showers and thunderstorms.

As I say, some very unsettled, disturbed air heading our way.

It stays that way through midweek.

We've got this feed of cold northerly air.

The high pressure is trying to cut that off, so gradually

towards the end of the week we'll start to see the grass frost

becoming less severe and the cold air being cut off,

so potentially not such a thick frost later in the week,

but certainly starting that way in the middle part of the week,

and eventually, with that cold air being cut off,

the showers and big thunderstorms should become less prevalent

as well, and the snow showers should become mostly confined to the hills.

But, as I say, it does look as if winter is making its return

from Monday onwards, and a really chilly

feel in that wind.

A real risk of thunder, hail, sleet and snow and, of course,

the night-time frosts.

Bye-bye.

Bye-bye.