Lerwick (Shetland Islands) weather

Headline:

Cloudy with rain and strong winds on Friday.

Today:

It will be a cloudy day with outbreaks of rain throughout. Rain becoming heavy at times. Fresh to strong southeasterly winds will ease later in the day. Maximum temperature 6 °C.

Tonight:

Cloudy start with outbreaks of rain, turning drier in the evening with clear spells. Dry with clear spells overnight for Shetland, cloudier with rain spreading northeast over Orkney. Light winds. Minimum temperature 2 °C.

Saturday:

Cloudy with rain over Orkney in the morning, dry with sunny spells for Shetland. Cloud and rain spreading northwards to Shetland later, whilst rain becomes heavier for Orkney. Fresh winds. Maximum temperature 6 °C.

Outlook for Sunday to Tuesday:

Remaining unsettled with blustery showers spreading eastwards and at times longer spells of heavy rain. However, still some dry spells with occasional brightness. Breezy throughout.

Broadly changeable during this period with Atlantic frontal systems moving across the country and shorter dry and bright interludes in-between. Rain and showers typically heaviest and most frequent in the west, with more sheltered eastern areas seeing much smaller amounts of rain. Often windy with a chance of gales at times. Temperatures well above average at first, likely falling closer to average towards the end of February and into March, perhaps briefly cold enough for some wintry showers or even snow in upland areas of the north. A very small chance of more settled weather by the end of the period.

Confidence remains low through this period. The most likely outcome is a continuation of rather changeable conditions, with low pressure systems tending to pass close to or across the UK, bringing occasional spells of wet and windy weather, especially in the north and west. High pressure to the south may build across the UK at times to bring some drier, quieter interludes, this probably most frequent in the south and east - the chances of prolonged settled weather look very low. Temperatures are likely to be near or slightly above average for the period as a whole, though some relatively short-lived interludes of colder conditions remain possible.