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Monday is off to a wet start in central and eastern Britain but drier conditions have returned to the west. Through the rest of the day light outbreaks of rain continue in the eastern half of Britain. In the west a few bright spells could develop but this  afternoon another band of wet weather spreads into Northern Ireland and western Scotland.  

Temperatures range from 8C (46F) in the north to 12C (54F) in the south. See the rainfall and precipitation type radar for the latest view.

Tonight wet weather pushes southeastwards. Clearer conditions return to the north and west with a touch of frost possible by the morning.

Tomorrow it remains damp in East Anglia and the south eastern corner. Elsewhere it becomes mostly dry and bright but in the north west scattered wintry showers are possible.

Through Wednesday and Thursday high pressure becomes centred over northern England. That allows an easterly flow to set-in across the southern half of the UK and it should be mostly dry. Temperatures start to drop but the really cold air will  be lurking in central Europe.

Will the Beast from the East arrive this week?

During Friday and Saturday it is expected to be mostly dry. In the west temperatures probably remain close to the seasonal average but it is likely to be quite chilly in the east with the possibility of a few wintry showers in south eastern coastal counties. 

By Sunday the bitterly cold pool of air over continental Europe could be approaching eastern England. A number of computer models such as this morning's GFS 00z run show that scenario. The chart below is for 6am Sunday 25th February and blue shading is used to highlight the cold air mass.

GFS 00z, 850hPA temperature and surface pressure, 06:00 GMT Sun 25th Feb

Alternative scenarios are possible. For example this morning's ECM 00z computer model keeps things milder until Tuesday and then the cold pool of air pays the UK a glancing blow and quickly slips away southeastwards.

It is expected to be several days before the details firm up. Nonetheless there is a risk of an unusually cold and snowy spell of weather next week.

Impact of the SSW

The increasing influence of high pressure and the possibility of cold blocks of air pushing across Europe during the rest of February and the first half of March could be a result of the Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) event that recently took place. That raises the risk of cold weather in the UK during the rest of February and the first half of March. However it is not assured because high pressure blocks could align in a way that leaves the UK under a mild south or southwesterly air mass.

Check the latest snow forecast charts:

Meteo France Arpege

DWD ICON

NCEP GFS

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Forecast tools

Check the latest satellite images, computer model charts and rain radar:

1981 - 2010 daily temperature charts [NEW]

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Rain and precipitation type radar

Meteo France Arpege forecast charts

Global Forecast System (GFS) forecast charts

16 day GEFS ensembles at a glance

A good deal of dry weather is shown in the short term. By the end of the month a big spread of solutions is on offer and it may turn very cold. View latest GEFS.