With the jet stream positioned to the north, the first half of this week will be pretty nice and quiet for most as high pressure dominates our weather. But looking forward to Friday and the weekend, that jet stream is expected to dip south, driving low pressure to our coast, making the weather more unsettled. The Met Office said it expected two centers of low pressure – which it described as synonymous with cyclones – to move towards the UK, bringing heavy rain with them. “We’ve got one that will try to push in from the north-west, and there’s also one from around the Bay of Biscay that will try to push in from the south,” Jonathan Vautrey, a meteorologist for the Met Office, told The Independent. Whether one or both of these low pressure centers move across the UK remains uncertain, he added. Although the western half of the country is likely to see the worst rainfall, Mr Vautrey warned that some eastern areas could also be hit by wet weather. He continued: “Friday is when we may see the first signs of low pressure centres, particularly the northwesterly spreading across western Scotland and Northern Ireland.” By Saturday, the rains are likely to spread to other areas and could bring thunderstorms and hail with them, the Met official warned. Winds will also blow, particularly along the coasts, while temperatures are expected to soar. “Even where there is rain, it can feel hot,” added Mr Vautrey. Thanks to high pressure setting the weather at the start of this week, Britons can generally expect good, warm weather before things take a turn from Friday onwards.
The Met Office outlook for this week:
Tonight:
Scattered drizzle in exposed north-east parts of the UK, but most areas dry. Clear times leading to a cooler night, breezy in the south and southwest.
Tuesday:
Early drizzle and low cloud in the northeast, with possible afternoon showers in the north. However, almost everywhere will be dry with occasional sunshine. Warm in the southwest, cooler in the northeast.
Outlook for Wednesday to Friday:
Some scattered showers with cold nights in the north, otherwise warm away from the south and east coasts. Heavy rain possible through Friday.
