Met Office daily weather: Split conditions are on the way
Split conditions are on the way for the UK over the next few days
Wednesday will bring a split in conditions across the UK. Central and eastern regions can expect a mostly dry and bright day, with sunshine lingering in eastern and southeastern England until the evening. In contrast, western areas will see more cloud cover, with outbreaks of rain, some of it heavy, especially over western hills and parts of the far north. As the day progresses, this rain will move eastwards, becoming lighter and patchier as it reaches central areas. Winds will be brisk in the north and west, adding to the unsettled feel there.
Temperatures on Wednesday will be close to the seasonal average for most, but there will be some local variation. The west may feel relatively mild, while the east remains rather cold, particularly where upper cloud encroaches. After a frosty start in central and eastern areas, temperatures will recover only slowly, with highs of 9-12°C, and possibly up to 13°C along the far southwest coast later in the day.
As we move into Wednesday night, the weather turns cloudier, milder, and breezier for all. Outbreaks of rain and drizzle will be most persistent and heaviest in the far north and northwest. In the east and southeast, temperatures may dip to 1-3°C early in the night, but will rise steadily as milder air spreads across the country, leaving all areas mild or even very mild by dawn.
Outlook on Thursday
Thursday will start cloudy, with rain pushing east and southeast. The heaviest rain will again affect western hills, while eastern areas see lighter, more drizzly conditions. As the day progresses, clearer and sunnier spells will develop from the west, though these will be accompanied by showers, some heavy, with a risk of thunder, in the northwest. Winds will be moderate to fresh, becoming strong along some coasts, with coastal gales likely in the northwest later in the day. It will feel mild or very mild everywhere.
Met Office presenter and meteorologist, Aidan McGivern, said: “A marked contrast northwest to southeast as we begin Wednesday. Plenty of sunshine after a chilly start in the southeast, but cloud and rain topples in from the northwest. There’ll be outbreaks of rain on and off for many western parts.
“Continuing through the day will be a freshening breeze, fairly windy in the north and west of Scotland and some heavy rain for the northwest highlands at times as well as the Northern Isles. But that rain’s moving through, albeit slowly. A fine day for the southeast. Staying chilly here, but milder as that rain pushes in further west. And it’s only slowly arrives into the southeast as we end Wednesday as a weakening feature that then moves through.”
Keep up to date with weather warnings, and you can find the latest forecast on our website, on YouTube, by following us on X and Facebook, as well as on our mobile app which is available for iPhone from the App store and for Android from the Google Play store.
