Atherton (Greater Manchester) weather

Headline:

More settled this week, with frost and fog overnight.

Today:

A breezy but much less windy day. Mainly dry with broken cloud and sunny spells, particularly in the west through the afternoon. Feeling chilly in the northeasterly breeze, with temperatures around average. Maximum temperature 7 °C.

Tonight:

Staying dry overnight with some clear spells. Winds easing allowing patchy mist and fog to develop by dawn. Turning chilly with a frost, especially for Cumbria. Minimum temperature 2 °C.

Tuesday:

A chilly but mostly bright start, although mist and fog may be stubborn to clear in places. Light winds and plenty of sunny spells, particularly in the north and west. Maximum temperature 6 °C.

Outlook for Wednesday to Friday:

High pressure continues to dominate, bringing light winds, scattered cloud and sunny spells by day, and frost and fog by night. Turning a little cooler and increasingly cloudy by Friday.

High pressure will likely weaken later this week, allowing occasional bands of rain to make some progress southeastwards across parts of the UK. While there may be an attempt for high pressure to rebuild at times, especially in the south, the more likely scenario is for an unsettled regime to dominate for much of next week, with occasional spells of rain followed by blustery showers, these most frequent and perhaps wintry at times in the northwest. It may be quite windy at times too, especially towards the north, while southern areas have a greater chance of some lengthier drier and perhaps more settled spells, although even here it may still be rather breezy. Temperatures will vary around average, with oscillations between colder and milder interludes.

Mainly unsettled conditions appear likely for most, with spells of wind and rain followed by showers affecting most areas but especially the north and northwest of the UK. Some sleet and snow is also likely at times, especially on high ground in the north. However, there are also some signs that more settled conditions are possible at times, these perhaps most likely across the south late in December or into early January. Temperatures are likely to be around average overall, with any more settled interludes bringing a risk of frost and fog.