High pressure to bring a taste of spring from this weekend

Following the wettest winter on record for the UK, I have no doubt that everyone will be elated at the news that high pressure is going to take residence over us from this weekend.

It will be a welcome change from the stormy weather that has battered our shores through winter, bringing severe flooding and widespread disruption.

I suggested around a week ago that high pressure looked set to arrive, although at that time there was still some uncertainty.

However, all the weather computer models are now singing from the same hymn sheet and show high pressure being a dominant feature in our weather next week.

The reason for our change in weather fortunes is the position of the jet stream, which is going to move north of us next week. This will divert low pressure towards Iceland and Scandinavia and allow high pressure to build over us.

Turning drier

The most beneficial feature of high pressure arriving next week will be the change to much drier weather for all of us.

Southern parts of England and Wales have had more than double the average rainfall this winter, whereas as next week there will probably be none at all.

The rest of the UK will see little rain next week too, with just a bit brushing across Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Spring warmth

This weekend and next week will see some of us get our first taste of spring warmth, with temperatures across southern and eastern England reaching as high as 14-18C on Sunday.

The rest of the UK is likely to see temperatures in the range of 10-15C, but with light winds and some sunshine, this will feel equally as nice.

Despite milder days, the nights are still long enough for a touch of frost where the cloud breaks for any length of time – so gardeners beware!

To shine or not to shine?

One of the biggest uncertainties about next week’s weather is how much sunshine there is going to be.

It looks like there’ll be a few dying weather fronts trapped under the area of high pressure, providing enough moisture for some cloud to form.

This means that cloud amounts will vary, so don’t expect clear blue skies and sunshine every day. Nevertheless, most of us will have some fine weather during the next seven days.

Don’t forget, you can get the latest forecast on the Channel 4 Weather website. I’ll also be posting regular updates on Twitter – @liamdutton