A ridge of high pressure means that Friday is starting off on a very cold and frosty note across many northern and eastern parts of the UK. However, the next Atlantic low pressure system is already making in-roads bringing wind and rain to the south and west and this pushes north-eastwards today bringing the risk of some significant snow to higher parts of northern England. The weekend then sees further frontal systems moving in from the west, but they will be bringing milder air with them.
Temperatures this morning are below –10°C across the snowfields of northern Britain but it will be a fine and sunny start to the day across the north and east. Out towards the south and west it is a rather different story as freshening winds and thickening cloud bringing outbreaks of rain have moved in overnight and these will continue to push north-eastwards today across many parts of Ireland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales, perhaps reaching central parts of Scotland later. This rain is turning to snow on its leading edge as it bumps into the cold air and a period of snow can be expected across higher parts of northern England and up into Scotland with higher ground in these regions at risk of seeing in excess of 10 cm of snow which will bring the risk of disruption. Drier and brighter conditions will then follow on into the south and west but further scattered showers are likely to be blown in on the strong winds which will touch gale or severe gale force in exposed spots. Meanwhile for northern parts of Scotland it will be a much quieter picture with a fine and cold day in store, but temperatures will remain below freezing here. Elsewhere and it will be milder the further south and west that you are with maximums in the far southwest of 13°C.
The far north remains clear and frosty tonight as the rain/snow band over central and southern Scotland slowly fizzles out. Meanwhile a drier interlude in the south gives way to more wind and rain moving in from the southwest later in the night and this sets the pattern for the weekend with milder but rather unsettled conditions prevailing as showers or longer spells of rain sweep through accompanied by strong winds at times.
METEOROLOGIST: BARBER
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