23/12/2017 Weather for the Week Ahead

Hello. After Christmas, it looks like our weather pattern

will change, and the change comes about

because of a change in the position of the jet stream.

Now, right now, and over the next few days, the jet stream is going to

be in this sort of position, so it's steering to the north of the UK.

It keeps the colder air at bay and it keeps us in this mild air.

Atlantic winds heading our way, bringing a lot of cloud,

as we have seen over the past few days around the top of that

area of high pressure.

We probably will see more rain arriving from northern areas in

the next few days, as that weather front begins to get a bit closer.

And that probably starts really on Saturday with rain

arriving across the north and west of Scotland.

Ahead of it, though, with some stronger winds,

we may see a bit more sunshine in Scotland, Northern Ireland,

perhaps into the north-east of England.

Some glimpses of sunshine further south

where the winds are lighter but on the whole, it will be a cloudy day.

It will be a mild day, there'll be a stronger breeze,

temperatures 10 to 12 degrees.

As we head overnight, we've still got those west to south-westerly

winds, we've still got a lot of cloud, not as much mist

and fog over the hills because the wind is a bit stronger.

That rain having moved southwards starts to move northwards again,

really, it's all because there's a bit of a wave on the weather

front which will alter the position, north and south.

There, you can see that wave on that front there.

As that wave tip moves away, so the cold front, the rain-bearing

cold front starts to move south again, this time for Christmas Eve.

So, we'll see it turning wetter in Scotland, some heavy rain in

western Scotland, and we'll see more rain arriving in Northern Ireland.

For England and Wales, a bit of drizzle here and there,

quite cloudy again, as you can see.

But we could see some sunshine for eastern areas of England.

It will be stronger winds for England and Wales than Scotland

and Northern Ireland,

the temperatures pretty much across the board 10 or 11 degrees.

Now, for the big day itself, Christmas Day.

We've got some windy weather for England and Wales,

ahead of some rain,

this band of rain that's moving across Northern Ireland over

the Irish Sea into England and Wales and still affecting Scotland.

The air gets a bit colder here,

so there may be some snow over the Scottish mountains.

But it's not really cold air

that comes in behind this weather front that sweeps rain overnight,

we've got more rain coming in on the next one.

But what we are seeing is the start of the change to something

much more unsettled.

So, one area of rain moves through,

we get some sunshine for a while on Boxing Day.

Later in the day, we get rain coming into Northern Ireland

and Wales and the south west.

Temperatures will be a bit lower on Boxing Day but nothing

particularly cold.

Everything moving on fairly quickly.

So, that first area of low pressure moves through,

things become drier and brighter on Wednesday,

a tuck of something a little bit colder so temperatures will be

low at three to five across the northern half of the UK.

So, as we head towards New Year,

we're seeing this change in the weather pattern.

We can relate it to the jet stream.

You can see this surge of stronger winds running through that jet,

which is further south.

Now, the jet stream picks up areas of low pressure,

drives them towards the UK, one after another,

and those areas of low pressure are further south, not moving to the

north of the UK as we are seeing now but moving right over the UK.

So every now and again,

you tuck in some colder air on the northern edge,

and that means the chance perhaps of some snow.

But the pattern is much more unsettled, much more changeable.

We'll have some stronger winds, perhaps gales at times.

For the most part, it will be rain from time to time

but where we see these tucks of colder air, colder spells, there is

the chance of some snow perhaps across the north.

That's it, goodbye.