Bbc Weather For The Month Ahead

[Tony C]

 

Monthly Outlook

 

Summary

 

Winter's back, but for how long?

Last week some places enjoyed spring-like warmth, but we were looking at a gradual cooling for this coming week. However, things have cooled off rather more quickly than initially expected, so much so that we have already been plunged back into mid-winter type conditions. Temperatures are now barely above freezing, and snow is affecting many places, accompanied by a bitter northeasterly wind. The cold is set in for a while, although it should hopefully become a little less bitter by the end of this week.

 

 

Monday 11 March—Sunday 17 March

 

A cold and wintry week to come

This coming week will feel more like mid-January than mid-March. Snow is likely to affect many of us at first, although most of the snow will tend to be in eastern and southern parts of the UK. Frost and ice will also affect most if not all parts, and the cold will be accentuated by a bitter northeasterly wind. As the week progresses, the winds will ease as they back northerly then westerly or southwesterly, which will at least make it feel less cold.

 

We should all see some brightness or sunshine at times this week, and as the winds back we should see fewer in the way of snow showers. However, we are likely to see cloud increase towards northwestern parts of the UK later in the week, which will bring some showers or more persistent rain, this no doubt preceded by some snow over parts of Scotland and England.

 

Temperatures will be several degrees below the mid-March average. Initially, daytime highs will be barely above freezing, but by the end of the week we should see some recovery in temperatures, although overnight frost and ice is still expected towards the southeast.

 

 

Monday 18 March—Sunday 24 March

 

Rather unsettled and less cold

As we head through the equinox, it looks like the weather will stay on the cool and unsettled side, with further spells of rain and wind at times. Rain is likely to be preceded by some snow, more especially in northern and eastern parts of the UK. There will be some sunshine too, and out of the wind it will feel quite pleasant.

 

Although it will be a less cold week, temperatures by day and by night will remain below average, with single figure highs generally expected. Nights will still be rather cold, with frost and ice likely at times.

 

 

Monday 25 March—Sunday 7 April

 

Cool and unsettled conditions to continue

A new month approaches, but there doesn't look like being too much change in the weather. Spring still looks like being put on hold. Most areas are likely to be a little colder than average during the remainder of March and start of April. It will probably be rather unsettled for much of the time, especially towards the south and west, with low pressure generally dominating the weather across the UK but centred just to the west or south of the UK.

 

 

Next week

Winter has renewed its grip on the UK, but can spring fight back after the equinox?

 

 

Monthly forecasting

The weather beyond about a week ahead stretches even the most experienced weather forecaster. Complex numerical weather forecast models from the Met Office and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) are run many times for the month (and season) ahead to build up a picture of the likelihood of different weather types affecting the UK. Next update at 10:00, Monday 18 March

 

 

[Tony C]

Monday 25 March Published at 10:00

Monthly Outlook

 

Summary

 

Spring arrives, but still no sign of mild weather!

The weather system that brought such disruptive conditions across the UK through the back end of last week and into Saturday finally petered out during Sunday, leaving a largely dry end to the weekend. However, conditions remained bitingly cold in the brisk easterly wind.

 

For those in search of some spring-like weather, the coming week's forecast is unlikely to install any great sense of joyous anticipation, with yet further wintry conditions envisaged for the UK in its entirety. The strong easterly winds will continue to drag in very cold air from the near continent and Scandinavia through the week.

 

There isn't a great deal of optimism as we move through the Easter weekend and into April either. Milder Atlantic air will start to gradually move into southern and central areas from the Atlantic. There's still a fair amount of uncertainty as to how quickly this milder air will advance though, and how far north it will eventually reach, but in the region where this milder air meets the cold, we're likely to see yet more snow.

 

Keep hanging in there though, with the sun's power increasing day on day as we head further into spring, sooner or later, the warmer air will win out!

 

Read on to find out the details................

 

 

Monday 25 March—Sunday 31 March

 

Staying bitterly cold.

The week will get underway with a widespread, penetrating frost and the same bitingly cold easterly wind that plagued the UK through the previous weekend. Conditions should be largely dry though, with just a few light snow showers peppering northern and eastern areas. Daytime highs will be so low that the weekend's snow will struggle to melt at all. The snow showers aren't expected to bring any significant accumulations. There could also be some reasonably bright spells. A very cold night will follow with another severe frost and some icy patches.

 

Tuesday and Wednesday will be similarly cold days, with the best of any brightness to be found across western parts, and a few snow showers, again chiefly focussed around northern and eastern areas. Nights will again be frosty. By Thursday the strong easterly wind will start to ease, but the cold feel will prevail, again with snow showers across northeastern parts.

 

Later on Thursday and through Friday, a weather system will start to encroach on the UK from the southwest. At the moment there's quite a lot of uncertainty as to how quickly the system will move north-eastwards. It does look likely that southwestern areas will see a good deal of rain as we head towards the end of the week, preceded by some snow over the moors and tors. As this area of rain moves further northeast and pushes against the cold air, there's an increasing risk of some significant snowfall across southern and central areas of the UK towards the weekend. Northern areas will probably hang on to the bitterly cold theme though, with mainly dry weather and the odd snow shower.

 

There's still quite a bit to play for in terms of the overall theme for the Easter Weekend, but at this stage, the most likely scenario is cold, bright and mainly dry in the north and east, a wintry spell of weather for central areas, and slightly less cold but with heavy rain for the south. Stay in touch with the forecast to keep abreast of the details!

 

 

Monday 1 April—Sunday 7 April

 

March not really going out like a lamb!

So, it looks likely there'll be a prevailing cold feel to the Easter weekend and the end of March, with only the far northeast having any serious chance of avoiding the unsettled weather. Through the first week of April it does look as if weather conditions across the UK will settle down a little though, with the rain and snow envisaged for southern and central areas easing off, and northern parts staying on the drier side, but with further wintry showers. As the week progresses, it's even possible that sunny spells will become more prevalent for most areas. Temperatures will remain on the low side though, with most parts of the UK struggling to reach seasonal average values.

 

 

Monday 8 April—Sunday 21 April

 

Milder into mid-April?

As we move into the middle of April, although there is still a significant level of uncertainty surrounding the details of the forecast, there are signs that the milder Atlantic air will start to make inroads into southern areas. As a result it looks as if southern parts of England and Wales will see a spell of wet and windy weather early in the period, with temperatures rising close to, if not just a touch below, average.

 

Further north, the start of this period still looks rather wintry with very low temperatures, although with a reasonable amount of dry and bright weather. A few snow showers can't be ruled out from time to time though, particularly over higher ground.

 

Towards the end of the period there is a chance that milder air will finally start to win out, returning the UK to temperatures that are closer to the seasonal average, accompanied by some further spells of wet and windy weather.

 

 

[Wiley]

Lmao the futures bright, the future is the season wont start till June the way it's looking

[Guest bigda]

when is your first race tony

[Tony C]

when is your first race tony

 

 

Most feds start on the 13th April down this end with the odd one starting the week before. Patience I believe is going to be the name of the game.

[REDCHEQHEN]

The Up North Combine has cancelled the Open race for this weekend and put back the start of the racing season, which should have been the 6th April, but is now standing at the 13th April (combine race dates are not changing)

[Pompey Mick]

The Solent Fed is due to start on the 13th but luckily the Southampton & Dist NR Fed are not due to start till the 27th.

[demolition man]

South Thames Fed cancelled their open race due for the 6th April,

[Tony C]

http://www.bbc.co.uk.../feeds/21961844

[Tony C]

Monday 8 April Published at 10:00

Monthly Outlook

 

Summary

 

A big change on the way - eventually!

After a lengthy spell of mainly settled albeit mostly cold weather, it looks like things are about to change across the United Kingdom over the coming week. Low pressure will become the dominant force as we move through the next few days, bringing a change to much more unsettled weather for all of us. The change will be a gradual one, and temperatures in southern parts of the UK should start to recover to close to average, but cold air will linger in the north, with snow over hills. Beyond next week, things may settle down a bit and warm up further, although unsettled conditions will probably never be too far away.

 

 

Monday 8 April—Sunday 14 April

 

Low pressure revisits our shores

It looks like we are finally going to say goodbye to the persistent, cold but dry easterly airflow that has plagued us for so long. In its place, low pressure will be making a concerted effort to establish itself across the UK, bringing much more unsettled conditions for us all. It will often be windy, and some substantial rain is likely, especially in more southern parts of the UK.

 

The return of southwesterly winds in southern parts of the UK will introduce milder conditions, with temperatures widely rising into double figures by day, which is closer to where they should be at this time of the year. Frost and ice are unlikely, which will be a welcome relief to gardeners.

 

In northern parts of the UK, the weather will actually cool off compared to recent days, as a cold, raw east to northeasterly flow becomes established. Rain and hill snow will eventually make its way up here during the second half of this coming week, so after a dry and bright start something more akin to winter will return here. The rain will be welcome in western parts of Scotland, where it has been very dry of late, and this should help to extinguish the forest fires there.

 

By next weekend, there are signs of pressure building across the UK, as the low pressure slips away into the North Sea. This would mean a return to chilly and possibly frosty nights, but pleasant days with some decent spells of sunshine.

 

 

Monday 15 April—Sunday 21 April

 

Settling down and warming up for a time

There are signs that the second half of April will be rather more seasonal than the first half. High pressure may build in from the west or southwest for a time and produce some more settled conditions across most parts, and given the warmer source, this should mean temperatures around or even a little above average for many parts, especially towards the south and east, although nights will still be rather chilly. The weather may become more unsettled towards the northwest later in this period though, but with a southwesterly flow developing for most places, this should mean some reasonable temperatures continuing.

 

 

Monday 22 April—Sunday 5 May

 

A seasonal mix of sunny spells and some rain

Current indications suggest conditions during the latter part of April and early May being fairly typical for the time of year. This would leave temperatures often nearer average, though given colder than average seas, coastal areas may be quite chilly whenever sea breezes occur. Meanwhile, during any settled spells the risk of overnight ground frost is, perhaps, slightly greater than average. Unsettled, changeable conditions will probably still affect some northern and western parts early in this forecast period. Otherwise, in the absence of any strong signals for trends in precipitation for late April into early May, nearer average rainfall amounts are considered most likely.

 

 

Next week

It looks like we'll be saying goodbye to winter this week, so can we now finally say a proper hello to spring, or will there be another twist?