Weather and climate change

Headline:

An icy start today. Further wet and breezy weather ahead.

Today:

Fog and ice will clear leaving most places dry with sunny spells. However, the north and east of Scotland will have patchy rain and mountain snow, and Northern Ireland, southwest Wales and southwest England will be breezy with some showers.

Tonight:

Low cloud and fog forming across many eastern and central areas overnight, with patchy rain. Hill snow northeast Scotland. Breezy, with showers in the southwest. Frost under clearer spells elsewhere.

Thursday:

Rather cloudy and breezy with some rain and hill snow lingering in the northeast, whilst showers give way to more persistent rain towards the southwest. Some brighter breaks developing elsewhere.

Outlook for Friday to Sunday:

Friday looks unsettled with brisk winds. Rather cloudy skies giving outbreaks of rain for many. Brighter and becoming less breezy for most over the weekend, albeit with scattered showers still.

Updated: 04:00 (UTC) on Wed 28 Jan 2026

Weather systems 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 as well as strong winds are expected at times. Rain 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 at times. Where fronts from the southwest do reach the cold air towards the northeast, there is the risk of some snow, most likely across hills, but perhaps extending to lower areas at times.

Updated: 14:00 (UTC) on Tue 27 Jan 2026

A similar theme from early February is most likely to continue as Atlantic frontal systems attempt to move across the country. With the jet stream likely 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 an increased risk of wintry hazards, especially where any precipitation from the southwest interacts with the cold air.

Updated: 15:00 (UTC) on Tue 27 Jan 2026