Stockport (Greater Manchester) weather

Headline:

Very windy later tonight and on Thursday, heavy rain arriving.

This Evening and Tonight:

Mainly dry this evening with clear spells but perhaps the odd shower, chiefly in Cumbria. Clouding over through the night and turning windy with gales developing in coastal and upland regions later. Showery rain developing later. Staying mild and frost-free. Minimum temperature 6 °C.

Thursday:

A very windy day with severe gales in places. Showery rain through the morning turning heavier and more persistent during the afternoon. Generally mild but turning colder in Cumbria later. Maximum temperature 13 °C.

Outlook for Friday to Sunday:

Colder on Friday with sunny spells and showers, wintry in places. Showers possible on Saturday, but many places remaining dry. Further rain on Sunday. Breezy at times. Frost possible overnight.

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.