WIREDGOV

A strong jet stream in the Atlantic will help maintain the changeable theme to our weather this week. Much of the UK will continue to be on the cooler side of the jet, meaning temperatures will be around or just below average. Where there is sunshine though, it will feel fairly warm, largely in the south. 

Today (Wednesday) will be mostly cloudy, with patchy rain and drizzle. There will be low cloud in the west and more persistent rain in the far north. Some bright spells are likely to the east of hills, though. Temperatures in the high teens to low 20°C in the southeast.

It will start to turn fairly windy later in the north and west and this will continue overnight, especially in the north. There will also be showers across northern parts of the UK – these heavy and frequent across Scotland, whilst more persistent rain affects Shetland. Southern Britain will turn drier with clear periods.  

Windy in the north on Thursday 

The winds arrive overnight, bringing a blustery day in the north of the UK on Thursday.

Paul Gundersen is a Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office and said: “Strong winds are expected on Thursday, with Scotland bearing the brunt. Inland areas in Scotland could see gusts of 30 to 40 miles per hour, whilst coastal areas and hills could experience gales with gusts of 40 to 50 miles per hour. 

“Along with that wind, the west and northwest of Scotland will also see blustery showers, which will perhaps merge into longer spells of rain later. A few showers are also likely across Northern Ireland, Wales and northern England, but southern England should remain dry with sunny spells.

“It will feel cooler in the damp northwest, but temperatures will be nearer average in the south and southwest. That rain is expected to continue in parts of Scotland and perhaps Northern Ireland overnight.”

Rain in the south on Friday

The strong winds across parts of Scotland and northern England will ease through the morning, bringing a breezy, showery afternoon for the northern half of the UK. 

As for the south, cloud and outbreaks of rain will spread east through the day, bringing some potentially heavy rain across parts of central and southern England and south Wales, with 20-40 mm of rain falling within 12-18 hours in places. 

The weekend

The weather will remain unsettled and rather cool across the weekend, although there is some sunshine on offer and when in it, temperatures will feel rather pleasant. 

Early rain over east/southeast England on Saturday should soon clear, leading into a weekend of sunshine and showers, some of which could be heavy with a risk of hail or thunder. Some more persistent rain is possible at times in northern Scotland, while southwest Britain is likely to remain the driest overall. Most areas will feel breezy, with strong winds possible in the far southeast of England at first. 

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What is the jet stream?

As is the case this week, the jet stream usually has a big influence on the weather across the UK. Watch the below  video to find out more.