A'Mharconaich (Highland) weather

Headline:

Cloudy Saturday, light rain in east, but brighter in west.

Today:

Mainly cloudy, occasional light rain in the east. The west will be mainly dry with a few sunny intervals breaking through. Lighter winds than recent days. Maximum temperature 6 °C.

Tonight:

A mainly cloudy evening and night with some occasional rain across the east. Drier across the west with just the odd shower and a few clear periods. Minimum temperature 2 °C.

Sunday:

Mostly cloudy with a few brighter intervals in the north. Chance of a few scattered showers, with some persistent rain spreading into the southwest later in the afternoon. Maximum temperature 9 °C.

Outlook for Monday to Wednesday:

Monday will be largely dry with some brightness across the west. Cold on Tuesday and Wednesday with wintry showers in the north, drier elsewhere. Strengthening southeasterly winds.

Frontal systems over the North 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.