Weather and climate change

Headline:

Strong winds bring further disruption in the wake Storm Darragh.

Today:

Rain lingers across the south and east throughout today, turning heavy and persistent at times. Drier further west, with occasional sunny spells this afternoon, though with blustery showers affecting parts of the north. Very windy, but lighter compared to Saturday.

Tonight:

Windy in the south, with further patchy rain, however gradually becoming more settled from the northwest. Turning rather chilly in the north, with a frost forming beneath clear skies.

Monday:

A chilly start in the north, but settled, with patchy cloud and occasional sunny spells. Cloudier and still rather breezy in the south, with further outbreaks of rain.

Outlook for Tuesday to Thursday:

High pressure brings a largely dry and settled week, with patchy rain and drizzle remaining confined to the north and south coasts. Turning colder, with some frosty nights to come.

Updated: 04:00 (UTC) on Sun 8 Dec 2024

High pressure will likely weaken later this week, allowing occasional bands of rain to make some progress southeastwards across parts of the UK. While there may be an attempt for high pressure to rebuild at times, especially in the south, the more likely scenario is for an unsettled regime to dominate for much of next week, with occasional spells of rain followed by blustery showers, these most frequent and perhaps wintry at times in the northwest. It may be quite windy at times too, especially towards the north, while southern areas have a greater chance of some lengthier drier and perhaps more settled spells, although even here it may still be rather breezy. Temperatures will vary around average, with oscillations between colder and milder interludes.

Updated: 14:00 (UTC) on Sun 8 Dec 2024

Mainly unsettled conditions appear likely for most, with spells of wind and rain followed by showers affecting most areas but especially the north and northwest of the UK. Some sleet and snow is also likely at times, especially on high ground in the north. However, there are also some signs that more settled conditions are possible at times, these perhaps most likely across the south late in December or into early January. Temperatures are likely to be around average overall, with any more settled interludes bringing a risk of frost and fog.

Updated: 15:00 (UTC) on Sun 8 Dec 2024