Newtownabbey (County Antrim) weather

Headline:

Wet and very windy for today.

Today:

An overcast start with periods of rain, heavy at times and combining with gales to bring decidedly un-Spring like weather. Clearing to blustery showers in western districts late morning, elsewhere for the afternoon, as showers turn wintry across higher ground. Maximum temperature 10 °C.

Tonight:

Blustery showers pushing across the area on strong to gale west to southwest winds. Outbreaks will be frequent, occasionally heavy and turning wintry to quite low levels. Minimum temperature 0 °C.

Friday:

Showers continuing, frequent in the west, occasional in east, but outbreaks lighter than Thursday night. Best of the brighter spells expected around the eastern coastal fringes. Maximum temperature 8 °C.

Outlook for Saturday to Monday:

Showers for Saturday focused in west. Rain early Sunday, clearing to blustery showers by afternoon, these wintry across hills. Scattered showers then periods of rain for Monday.

Mostly changeable through this period, with Atlantic frontal systems passing close to or across the UK at times. These will bring spells of rain and showers, most frequent and heavy in the west or northwest, and perhaps accompanied by strong winds. However, there should also be some drier interludes under transient ridges of high pressure, with longer dry periods most likely in the south and east, though even here some wet weather is possible at times. Temperatures will be near average for the period as a whole, but with some shorter-duration colder interludes at times when frost and hill snow will be possible.

Blocked, or slowly evolving, weather patterns are favoured for late March into early April, with high pressure probably building to the north or northeast of the UK. Whilst confidence is low in how this will influence the weather across the UK, this tends to lead to a more prolonged period of a certain weather type, be it settled or unsettled. In any case, a reduction in Atlantic-dominated weather patterns is likely, although some wet weather remains possible at times, perhaps more especially in the south and east whilst northwestern areas tend to be drier than average. Temperatures will probably be close to average for the period as a whole, but there is an increased chance of some colder conditions developing for a time with a risk of frost.