Blandford Forum (Dorset) weather

Headline:

Rain and showers continuing to start February.

Today:

Breezy for a time as rain across Cornwall moves into the Channel, but with another band closely following behind and moving more broadly across all areas of the region. Sunnier spells emerging in the west after the rain clears away. Maximum temperature 10 °C.

Tonight:

Dry this evening and overnight. Clear spells in the west allowing frost and fog to form. Low cloud creating misty and murky conditions further east but also holding temperatures up. Minimum temperature -2 °C.

Monday:

Cloud and hill fog in the east gradually lifting with a limited number of bright spells emerging. Rain arriving in the west during the afternoon as the wind picks up. Maximum temperature 10 °C.

Outlook for Tuesday to Thursday:

Low pressure remains in charge for the first week of February. Further spells of rain and showers likely, which could lead to some isolated flooding in places.

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 on high ground in northern England and Scotland 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 northern UK at least, bringing an increased risk of wintry hazards for a time.

Whilst confidence is lower through this period, a south-shifted jet stream is likely to persist 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, 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. Temperatures for the period as a whole will likely be close to average in the southwest, but a little below in the northeast.