A window of sunny weather next week?
Rain, rain and more rain has been on the weather menu for the past six weeks. April was the wettest on record in the UK and May has continued in similar vein – cool and unsettled thanks to low pressure.
The rain has been beneficial to the drought situation across England, with the south west, Midlands and parts of Yorkshire now officially out of drought according to the Environment Agency.
However, judging by the conversations I’ve had on Twitter, it seems that most people are sick and tired of the unsettled weather and long for sunshine and warmth.
Whilst it’s still too early to be certain, there are hints that next week may herald a slightly longer spell of settled weather than we’ve been used to.
An area of high pressure will gradually extend southwards across the UK this weekend and, given the latest forecast, it looks set to stay with us for much of next week.
So what’s the cause of this potential spell of more settled weather? Once again, it’s all down to the jet stream – a fast moving ribbon of air high up in the atmosphere that plays a huge part in the weather we experience.
During the past few weeks, the jet stream has been taking a direct route from west to east. This acts as a conveyor belt pushing weather systems through quickly and frequently with only brief gaps in between.
Next week, the jet stream will take a more indirect route towards us meandering northwards and southwards across the Atlantic. The result of this is that the progression of weather systems is slower and much more infrequent allowing particular weather types to persist for longer.
Northern parts of the UK will be first to see drier, brighter weather arrive at the weekend, with this gradually extending southwards across the rest of us early next week.
East Anglia and south east England may be last to see the change to settled weather as a stubborn weather front remains close by, bringing a little more cloud, occasional rain and a cool breeze.
Most places could potentially see a lot of dry weather next week with decent spells of sunshine. Temperatures won’t be spectacular at generally around 13-18C, but with light winds and the sun high in the sky, it’ll feel pretty warm.
Whilst the days will be pleasant, the nights will be cold with a good chance of frost – especially in rural areas with temperatures widely close to freezing or just below. This isn’t the best news for gardeners who have been grappling with plenty of late season frosts lately.
The caveat to all of the above is that confidence is only moderate for this scenario coming to fruition, so do keep an eye on the forecast during the next few days for further updates!
Don’t forget, if you’ve got any weather questions, you can always contact me on Twitter – @liamdutton