IMPORTANT : ARCHIVED CONTENT

Saturday starts with showery rain in England and Wales which is falling as wet snow over high ground in places. The wet weather gradually moves southwards and fades away during the course of the day. Elsewhere it will be mostly dry with the brightest conditions in Scotland. 

Temperatures range from 3C (36F) in the north to 6C (42F) in the south, but the south west will be milder. See the rain radar for the latest view.

Meteo France Arpege, precipitation type, 15:00 GMT Sat 19th January

Tonight cloud amounts vary and where clear spells form a frost quickly sets in. The west has more cloud, and in the north west patchy outbreaks of rain and hill snow push in. 

Forecast short cuts

Monthly forecast update

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

Buzz

Tomorrow a band of light rain and sleet in Scotland pushes southeastwards. By the time it reaches northern England and northern Wales it becomes a very weak feature. Areas to the north and south stay dry with some bright spells. It will be cold.

GFS, temperatures, 15:00 GMT Sun 20th January

Cold early next week but will it last?

Monday should be dry and cold in England and Wales. After a dry start in Scotland and Northern Ireland winds strengthen and outbreaks of rain, sleet and snow push in from the north west. Over high ground significant accumulations of snow are likely.

During Monday night and Tuesday the wet weather clears southeastwards. Cold conditions with wintry showers follow on behind it.

The longer term outlook is now shrouded in uncertainty. In recent days computer models have been pointing towards a long cold period but in the last 24 hours changes have crept in. Although a cold outlook is still favoured by most, an increasing number are suggesting a milder scenario.

The key appears to be whether the Arctic and Azores high pressure areas can link up during the middle of next week. If they can a very cold easterly flow becomes established. However, if they can't the gate remains open for a milder westerly air stream to brings disturbances in the from the Atlantic.

ECM pressure and 500hPa heights, 00:00 GMT Wed 23rd January

{ADVERT}

Register for the TWO community

If you would like to join the TWO community please see how to register for the forum. People with all levels of meteorological knowledge are very welcome to apply.

Forecast tools

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

1981 - 2010 daily temperature charts

Temperature anomalies

DWD ICON forecast charts

EUMETSAT high resolution satellite images

Rain and precipitation type radar

Meteo France Arpege forecast charts

Global Forecast System (GFS) forecast charts

16 day GEFS ensembles at a glance

Cold conditions are shown for most of the 16 day period. However, significant minority of runs show it turning less cold. There is an increased risk of sleet and snow. View latest GEFS.