Guy L. Wilson Daffodil Garden (County Londonderry) weather

Headline:

Cloudy, mostly dry, widespread rain from evening

Today:

Another cloudy and at times windy day. Staying mostly dry in the morning with just the odd spot of light rain. More widespread rain or drizzle spreads north through the afternoon. Strong easterly winds at times. Maximum temperature 6 °C.

Tonight:

Widespread cloud and outbreaks of mostly light rain spread north through the evening and overnight, this falling as snow over the hills. Occasionally strong easterly winds around the coast. Minimum temperature 2 °C.

Wednesday:

Cloudy with outbreaks of rain in the morning. This gradually clearing north to become mainly dry but still quite cloudy from mid-afternoon. Occasionally strong easterly winds around the coast. Maximum temperature 8 °C.

Outlook for Thursday to Saturday:

Staying largely cloudy with some outbreaks of rain at times, strong easterly winds along the east coast. Drier with some brightness possible on Thursday.

Frontal systems over the Atlantic, steered by a south-shifted jet stream, are likely to approach the UK at times, but tending to stall as they encounter a blocking area of high pressure to the north and northeast. This will result in further spells of rain at times, falling in areas already sensitive to flooding. As these bands of rain spread northwards, some snow will be possible in northern England and Scotland, mainly over higher ground, as they encounter colder air. A subtle shift southwards of these areas of low pressure is anticipated during the second week of February, which may allow a greater chance of colder air to spread across larger parts of the UK at times, including the south, bringing an increased risk of wintry hazards.

Whilst confidence is inevitably low through this period, a south-shifted jet stream is likely to persist for much of the time, steering areas of low pressure towards and south of the UK. This is likely to bring further spells of wet and windy weather, with rain most frequent in the south and west, and perhaps also eastern Scotland, with the driest conditions, relative to normal, in northwest Scotland. Some hill snow will be possible at times as the wet weather encounters colder air across northern parts of the UK. There is a hint that storm systems may start to track a little further north by March though. Temperatures overall will likely be close to average for most parts, but perhaps a little below in the northeast at first.