What you can expect from our forecasts

We provide forecasts from a few hours ahead to projections more than a century into the future. The timescale of each forecast greatly determines the level of detail we can give. Here’s a guide to each type of forecast and what you can expect from it.

One- to two-day forecast
A detailed forecast of what’s to come today and tomorrow, for regions, towns and cities describing the expected weather, temperatures and wind speeds along with detailed and timely warnings of severe weather. It is not yet possible to pinpoint exactly where and when localised weather, such as showers or fog patches, will happen, though we are able to identify the likelihood of this type of weather occurring.

Three- to five-day forecast
A general picture of the weather on a day-by-day basis, with the main regional variations identified.  We have a good track record in advising on any significant risk of severe weather in this period.

Six- to fifteen-day forecast
A broad description of the weather likely to be affecting the UK, including significant changes in the type of weather. We’ll also give a risk assessment of severe weather, such as heavy rainfall, severe gales or an extended period of high or low temperatures.

16-30 day outlook
An indication of how the weather might change, or be different from normal, (i.e. warmer, colder, wetter, drier) across the whole UK.