After one of the mildest and wettest winters on record, the weather has turned distinctly colder and it remains unsettled for the start of March and the beginning of meteorological Spring 2024. The coming week will see more unsettled weather at times but as the week progresses we should see a change to drier conditions as high pressure builds to our east. We need to keep an eye on that high pressure because if the wind goes easterly we could start to drag in some colder air from Russia...
Saturday morning has been unsettled with heavy, and at times wintry, showers and longer spells of rain, sleet and snow in places. There have also been drier intervals too. The rest of the day with find more heavy showers and longer spells of rain, sleet and snow pushing northwards with a risk of hail and thunder in some of the heavier downpours. Snow will be chiefly over high ground but there will be drier intervals at times as well. Temperatures will be cold today, ranging from 3C to 7C.
Overnight, heavy showers and longer spells of rain will push northwards into Scotland with hill snow in places. Much of Northern Ireland, England and Wales will turn drier though showers could continue around western coasts. It will be a cold night with temperatures of -3C to +2C. Watch out for a frost and icy patches on untreated surfaces.
Sunday should be a much drier day though scattered showers continue around northern and western coasts but many places will stay dry with bright or sunny spells. Another chilly day but temperatures may be a degree or so up on today with a range from around 4C to 8C.
The next weather system arrives from the west on Monday.
We should start Monday on a mostly dry note. It will be cold with a widespread frost but also plenty of sunshine. A band of cloud and rain pushes into Northern Ireland, Wales and south west England. Temperatures will be closer to average at 5C to 10C.
Wet weather eases across the country on Monday night clearing away to the east on Tuesday morning. We'll be left with sunny spells and showers and some of them could be heavy in central and eastern regions. Temperatures near normal at 6C to 11C.
High pressure is building to the east with low pressure to the west on Wednesday. A band of showers rain looks set to push eastwards across the northern half of the country while southern regions probably stay mostly dry. Quite a mild day at 7C to 13C.
There's a lot of uncertainty for Thursday and Friday but we may see high pressure strengthening to the east of the country perhaps bringing more in the way of drier conditions. With winds from the south or south east temperatures should be mild at 7C to 14C.
Next weekend might see the southeasterly wind turning easterly, bringing colder air and wintry showers with it. Just one to watch at the moment.
Summary: Chilly and showery start. Milder and drier later in the week but could turn cold again next weekend.
Rural West Northants 120m asl
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