Weather and climate change

Headline:

Strong winds and heavy rain, easing in the afternoon.

Today:

Wet and windy start to the weekend across all parts with a band of heavy rain moving northeastwards. Strong wind with possible gales for parts of the west. Turning brighter in the south with scattered showers by the afternoon.

Tonight:

Rain continues for many parts of Scotland, northern and central England, slowly clearing by dawn as strong winds begin to ease. Clear and dry for many in the south.

Sunday:

Rain moves into from the west, heavy for some. Clearing eastwards leaving sunny spells in the south by the afternoon. Winds increase in the south, gales along western coasts.

Outlook for Monday to Wednesday:

Dry for some to start the working week, but showers developing across all parts with strong winds in the south. Turning more settled again with sunny spells by Wednesday.

Updated: 04:00 (UTC) on Sat 9 Dec 2023

Briefly unsettled with showers and potential for a band of rain before becoming more settled later in the week as high pressure affects southern areas, though remaining in a more wet and windy regime in the north. As such, the wettest weather likely across western high ground, mainly in Scotland and occasionally parts of Northern Ireland and northwest England. Settled conditions in the south with average temperatures and cloudy at times with patchy light rain near coasts and over hills. Clearer spells favouring the southeast but these also allowing potential for fog or frost overnight. The following week sees potential for high pressure to shift allowing a return to unsettled conditions but average to mild temperatures, favouring the northwest for wettest and windiest conditions.

Updated: 14:00 (UTC) on Fri 8 Dec 2023

More likely to be unsettled compared to preceding settled spell with bands of rain crossing the UK with brighter conditions and showers in between. The wettest and windiest conditions are most likely in the west and northwest. The chance of a colder spell of weather, with hazards such as snow and ice, does increase later in December and into the New Year period. However, conditions are more likely to remain generally mild and wet.

Updated: 15:00 (UTC) on Fri 8 Dec 2023