Thursday will bring a mix of unsettled weather across the UK. A band of light rain and drizzle, with some sleet and snow over parts of Scotland, will edge eastwards and gradually fade. However, this will leave behind areas of low cloud, particularly in some central and northern regions. Ahead of this cloud, there will be occasional sunny spells, but conditions will soon deteriorate as cloud thickens from the southwest.

Later in the day, heavy rain will arrive in southwest England and quickly move northeastwards. As this system progresses, it is likely to turn to snow over higher ground and, in some locations, even at lower levels. Winds will strengthen significantly, with gales or severe gales expected along southern and southwestern coasts. There is a risk of storm force winds, especially in the far southwest later in the day. Temperatures will remain cold for most areas, though it will be milder in the far south and southwest.

Overnight, outbreaks of rain, sleet, and snow will extend northeast across much of England and Wales. The heaviest snow is most likely to fall over Wales, the Midlands, and possibly the southern part of northern England, where significant accumulations are possible. Some other areas may also see snow, though the risk is lower. Severe gales or storm force winds are expected to move east along the English Channel coasts, while further north, coastal areas may experience wintry showers. Elsewhere, it will be mostly dry with a risk of frost, and parts of Scotland could see freezing fog patches.

A number of weather warnings, including amber warnings for wind and snow, are in place.

Outlook for Friday

On Friday, outbreaks of rain and snow, heavy at times, will affect the southern half of the UK, becoming increasingly confined to the east and southeast. Here, it is likely to be a particularly unpleasant day, with persistent rain, sleet, and strong winds. In contrast, many other areas will enjoy drier conditions with clear or sunny spells, although freezing fog patches are possible. Wintry showers may occur, especially across the Northern Isles and parts of northern and northeastern Scotland. Winds will remain fresh or strong in the south at first, with coastal gales gradually easing from the west, while elsewhere winds will be light to moderate. It will be cold everywhere, with some notably low temperatures possible across parts of Scotland.

Met Office presenter and meteorologist, Aidan McGivern, said: “As we start off Thursday, we’re already seeing some rain pushing into Cornwall, turning heavier and more persistent as it spreads northeastwards through the day. Elsewhere, it’s a cloudy start, with bright spells emerging in the northeast. There are still some wintry showers into northern and western Scotland. By the end of the afternoon, our focus increasingly turns to the south of the UK because of Storm Gorretti, named by Météo-France due to the risk of widespread disruption across northern France from the winds associated with this system. However, the winds will also be a key feature for the UK.

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“There are significant temperature contrasts across the country. You can see 11°C in Plymouth, where milder air is arriving from the Atlantic, while colder conditions persist in the north and east. The first thing to note is the heaviness of the rain. As Gerretti pushes its bands of rain into the southwest and South Wales, this milder slice of air moves eastwards across the southern part of the UK, while cold air digs back in again on the northern and eastern flank of the low. So, a real mixture of precipitation is expected across much of England and Wales as we go through Thursday night.

“Let’s focus initially on the wind, as there is an amber wind warning for the far southwest and a risk, in some of the most exposed coasts, of 80 to 90mph wind gusts, with 50 to 70mph more widely across southwest England and south-western parts of Pembrokeshire. That, combined with heavy rain, could cause some disruption. The winds will peak during Thursday evening, and then our attention turns to the snow. As the cold air increasingly mixes in with the bands of rain, we’re going to see widespread snowfall across parts of mid Wales, the Midlands, and northern England, including the Peak District and southern parts of the Pennines.

“It’s in this area where we have an amber snow warning, with widespread accumulations across parts of mid Wales in particular, anywhere from inland parts of south Wales up into northeast Wales, the West Midlands, and the Peak District. Here, 5 to 10cm is likely, and in some of the snowier spots, particularly above 200 metres but not exclusively, 20 to 30cm is possible in a zone from mid Wales up into the West Midlands and the Peak District. Such amounts of snow could, of course, cause significant disruption by the start of Friday.”

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