Weather and climate change

Headline:

Spells of wet and windy weather. Hill snow over Scotland.

This Evening and Tonight:

Remaining windy in the north with further rain, heaviest across eastern Scotland. Some snow over Scottish high ground. Drier, clearer weather developing elsewhere with fog patches. Turning wet and windy in southwest later as Storm Ingrid approaches.

Friday:

Often cloudy with further showers or longer spells of rain affecting all parts. Some snow on hills in Scotland. One or two brighter breaks. Windy, with gales in the southwest.

Outlook for Saturday to Monday:

Wet and windy on Saturday, especially across the southwest. Turning colder from the east thereafter, with cloud and some showery rain, a little snow possible in the north and east.

Updated: 16:00 (UTC) on Thu 22 Jan 2026

Weather systems moving in from the Atlantic will continue to attempt to push in from the west, but tending to stall in the vicinity of the UK as they encounter high pressure to the north and northeast. As a result, further spells of rain or showers are expected at times. These may be heavy and persistent, especially in the south and west. Whilst mild conditions are expected to encroach into the south and southwest at times, cold air is likely to be positioned to the northeast, bringing wintry showers. Where fronts from the south west do reach the cold air towards the north east, there is the risk of some snow, most likely across hills, but perhaps extending to other areas at times.

Updated: 14:00 (UTC) on Thu 22 Jan 2026

A similar theme is expected to continue as Atlantic frontal systems attempt to push eastwards at times. As the jet stream is slightly further south than normal, the wettest conditions are more likely in central and southern areas. North and northwestern parts of the UK are most likely to be drier than normal. Whilst mild incursions of wet and windy weather are favoured at times in the south and west, colder conditions in the north and northeast will bring associated wintry hazards where any precipitation attempts to spread in, especially on hills.

Updated: 15:00 (UTC) on Thu 22 Jan 2026