Weather and climate change

Headline:

Remaining unsettled throughout the rest of the week.

Today:

Occasional rain and drizzle across central and eastern areas tending to clear allowing some brighter spells to develop. Western areas though will see bands of locally heavy rain move in. Strong winds in the west and southwest with gales developing.

Tonight:

Rain across the west moving north and east overnight. A mix of clear spells and showers following but further rain arriving into the south later. Windy with coastal gales.

Wednesday:

An unsettled day with bands of rain continuing to move northwards. Some bright spells developing between the bands of rain. Staying windy, but temperatures near or slightly above average.

Outlook for Thursday to Saturday:

Staying unsettled with further rain or showers for much of the UK. Most persistent rain across Scotland with some snow across high ground. Often windy but temperatures remaining near average.

Updated: 04:00 (UTC) on Tue 20 Jan 2026

The UK will likely continue to sit in the battleground between Atlantic weather systems attempting 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 such, further spells of rain or showers are likely at times, which may be heavy and persistent, especially in the south and west, with the best of any drier interludes in the far north and northwest. Whilst mild conditions will encroach into the south and west at times, it is likely to turn somewhat colder through this period, bringing the risk of some snow, more especially on hills in Scotland and northern England.

Updated: 14:00 (UTC) on Mon 19 Jan 2026

Little overall change is expected in the weather patterns impacting the UK through much of this period, as Atlantic frontal systems attempt to push eastwards at times, but on a south-shifted storm track such that 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 are favoured at times in the south and west, colder conditions in the north and northeast will bring associated wintry hazards as wet weather attempts to spread in, especially on hills.

Updated: 15:00 (UTC) on Mon 19 Jan 2026