Met Office daily weather: Largely settled but change is on the way

The UK’s weather remains in a largely settled pattern, though subtle changes are expected over the next two days.

Thursday will see bands of patchy rain affecting northern and north-eastern Scotland, gradually edging southwards. Behind these bands, the far north-east will enjoy some sunny spells, particularly later in the day. Further south-east, showers are likely to continue, though these will be scattered.

Elsewhere across the UK, the day will be often cloudy, but there will be some sunny intervals, especially to the west of hills in the south. Temperatures are expected to be near average for most areas, providing a typical mid-October feel.

As Thursday night approaches, cloud will persist across northern and eastern regions, with a few showers lingering in northern Scotland and possibly along North Sea coasts further south. Other areas will see variable cloud, and where skies clear, there is a risk of isolated frost or fog patches developing, particularly across southern England, Wales, and the far north-east of Scotland, especially Shetland.

Outlook for Friday

Friday brings little change for many, with widespread cloud cover continuing. In some areas, the cloud will be thick enough to produce a few spots of drizzle, especially along northern, eastern, and southern coasts where onshore winds prevail. However, some clearer or brighter spells are likely, most notably in the far south-west, the Northern Isles, and to the lee of high ground elsewhere.

Where skies clear overnight, patchy mist or fog may develop. Winds will generally be light, and temperatures will be near or slightly below average by day. Most places will remain mild overnight, but some ground frost is possible under clear skies.

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Met Office presenter and meteorologist, Clare Nasir, said: “We are seeing a little rain across Shetland as well as Orne and that will slide down towards Cath as well as Aberdeen through this Thursday morning. At the same time this brisk breeze towards the far southeast delivering one or two drizzly showers a bit damp across the western isles and the far north of Northern Ireland.

“Some brighter breaks arriving during the morning once that mist and fog lifts but for most of the country it’s a cloudy day. Mostly dry. The odd spot or two of drizzle can’t be ruled out particularly across the Pennines as well as the Welsh hills, the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland. Temperatures 12°C to 16°C.

“Now through this evening and overnight we continue with that cloudy theme and again a little damp in places and that will lead into a cloudy day on Friday. Winds remain light. So not a lot of change. The weather is fairly blocked at the moment but there is a change coming our way. It’s moving in through Saturday and into Sunday as high-pressure drifts from central and eastern areas of the UK towards Denmark and the near continent.”

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