Stormont Castle (County Down) weather

Headline:

Cloudy, with rain spreading from the west.

Today:

A cloudy but mainly dry start, just the odd spot or rain. Then outbreaks of rain will reach the southwest later in the morning, spreading to all areas in the afternoon, some on the heavy side. Maximum temperature 12 °C.

Tonight:

Cloudy with further rain at times this evening, some heavy, then turning clearer towards midnight with a few showers likely overnight especially in western counties. Minimum temperature 7 °C.

Sunday:

Bright or sunny intervals and occasional blustery showers, some heavy with with the chance of thunder. Quite windy. Maximum temperature 11 °C.

Outlook for Monday to Wednesday:

Bright with a few showers early Monday then cloudier with rain in the afternoon. Remaining changeable thereafter with some rain at times but it will be on the mild side.

Changeable during this period with Atlantic frontal systems moving across the country and shorter dry and bright interludes in-between. Rain and showers typically heaviest and most frequent in the west, with more sheltered eastern areas seeing much smaller amounts of rain. Often windy with a chance of gales at times. Temperatures well above average at first, likely falling closer to average with alternating colder and milder spells towards the end of February and into March; perhaps cold enough for some sleet/snow showers in the northwest, especially over high ground, in the colder spells.

A continuation of rather changeable conditions is the favoured scenario, with low pressure systems tending to pass close to or across the UK, bringing occasional spells of wet and windy weather, especially in the north and west. High pressure to the southwest may build across the UK at times to bring some drier, quieter interludes, these more likely later in this period and probably most influential in the south - the chances of prolonged settled weather look very low. Temperatures are likely to be near or slightly above average for the period as a whole, though some relatively short-lived interludes of colder conditions remain possible.