Weather and climate change

Headline:

Turning warmer through the week.

Today:

Cloudy at first in the south, but sunny spells develop through the day. A few spots of drizzle are possible in the south from any thicker cloud. Dry in the north with pleasant sunny spells.

Tonight:

Patchy cloud spreads north tonight with a few spots of drizzle in places. Fog patches in the south where clear spells develop. Chilly in the north with a rural frost.

Wednesday:

Fog patches slow to clear in the south. Sunny spells developing for most and feeling warm in the sunshine. Clouding over in the far northwest with outbreaks of rain.

Outlook for Thursday to Saturday:

Warm for many on Thursday with sunny spells, but cloudy across much of Scotland and Northern Ireland with rain. Turning cooler into the weekend with patchy cloud.

Updated: 04:00 (UTC) on Tue 3 Mar 2026

As we head into the second week of March, high pressure looks to maintain its influence, especially towards the south or southeast of the UK. This means that many places will see plenty of dry weather with variable cloud amounts and some sunshine. The best of the sunny weather is most likely towards the south or southeast. Some overnight fog is possible given clear skies and light winds. However, frontal systems are still likely to affect the north and west of the UK at times, perhaps pushing further east on occasion. This might lead to some rain and strong winds, and possibly some hill snow across the highest parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland. Temperatures will be near or above normal, although a few frosty nights are still likely.

Updated: 14:00 (UTC) on Mon 2 Mar 2026

The slow moving pattern will probably continue for a while. Spells of rain are still possible across the west and northwest, with drier and brighter weather further east and southeast. Confidence is lower by late-March, however the blocked and slow-moving weather pattern may very well persist. The main uncertainty is whether this will lead to cyclonic and unsettled weather becoming slow moving and persistent across the UK; or continued anticyclonic pattern, which would mean more settled and perhaps colder patterns in the vicinity of the UK. In general, some rain still probable but distribution of any wetter areas is extremely low confidence. Temperatures overall near or above normal at first, with a sign of a slight downward trend through the rest of the month.

Updated: 15:00 (UTC) on Mon 2 Mar 2026