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Saturday is off to very windy start and there are heavy showers in the north and west. This morning the showers become more scattered in the north but increase in frequency in Wales and western England. During the afternoon heavy showers move eastwards and in the southern half of the UK they may merge to give longer spells of rain. Winds ease in the north but remain strong in southern and central regions.

Temperatures range from 5C (41F) in Scotland to 12C (54F) in the south. See the rain radar for the latest view.

Meteo France Arpege, forecast precipitation type, 14:00 GMT Sat 8th December

Tonight showers continue with the heaviest ones in the south. In Scotland clear periods lead to a cold night and there will be a frost in places.

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Winter 2018/19 forecast [Issued 01/12/2018]

Buzz

Tomorrow morning showery rain steadily moves away southeastwards. In the afternoon scattered showers spread into the west and north but many places stay dry and bright. The north has a chilly day but temperatures in the south won't be far from the seasonal average.

Meteo France Arpege, forecast temperatures, 13:00 GMT Sun 9th December

East vs west battle next week

Early next week high pressure builds over Scandinavia. Colder air moves westwards across Europe but computer models  suggest it will struggle to reach the UK. The battle between the mild Atlantic air mass and the cold continental one may remain just to our east for much of the week but there is uncertainty.

At the moment Monday is looking dry and chilly in much of the UK, although the south west remains milder. Patchy outbreaks of rain are expected to push into the north west and over high ground in Scotland snow is possible.

Tuesday probably remains mainly dry in northern and eastern areas with close to average temperatures. In the west milder and wetter conditions are likely. Overnight, patchy spells of rain could push eastwards.

Through the second half of the week the weather could turn increasingly unsettled and there is the potential for some big rainfall totals to be recorded. Temperatures fluctuate around the mid December average in the south. Northern areas could be colder and there is a risk of snow over high ground.

CMC GEM pressure and 500hPa heights, 15:00 GMT Fri 14th December

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Unsettled weather is favoured early on. Next week it turns colder and drier in all regions. Beyond that there is a signal for more changeable conditions to return. View latest GEFS.