Issued: 0800 Wednesday 21st December 2016
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling

Quieter next week after Christmas storms

Very windy weather to come through the Christmas weekend. Expect some minor damage to be caused by the winds and there will be travel disruption too. Things should improve next week as higher pressure builds bringing quieter conditions, although there will be some fog and frost over more southern and eastern areas. Western parts tending to be rather cloudy with some drizzle on coasts. Milder west, cooler east.

For the weather for the next few days click here


Christmas Eve
Low pressure remains north of the UK on Christmas Eve. This brings windy conditions with frequent showers or longer spells of ria in Scotland, snow over the higher ground here. Showers on western coasts and hills but drier in the east. However, by the evening more gales are going to return to Ireland as the next storm system arrives. This pushes severe gales back through Ireland, Wales and England as well as southern Scotland on Christmas Eve evening. Gusts in excess of 70mph are likely and snow may affect the Scottish hills together with heavy rain in Wales, northern England, Ireland and the rest of Scotland. Highs near 3 to 10C.

Christmas Day
A stormy Christmas Day is expected with widespread severe gales. Gusts of over 70mph especially over Ireland, England and Wales together with southern Scotland, which could bring some minor damage. Bands passes east during the day but there will be some drier hours too. More showery and cooler weather then follows from the west, falling as snow on the hills of Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland later. Temperatures at 4 to 12C but turning cooler later.

Boxing Day
The area of low pressure clears east for Boxing Day leaving things cool and with a mix of sunshine and showers and less windy as a ridge of high pressure builds to the south. Most of the showers in the north and west with some snow on the hills here. Drier to the south and east. Cooler for all at 3 to 7C.
 

Tuesday 27/12/16
A ridge of high pressure builds over the UK and Ireland on Tuesday. There could be some drizzle in the west, but more eastern and southern areas stay dry with bright spells and broken cloud, cool too. Highs at a cool 3 or 6C in the east, 7 to 9C in the west.

Wednesday 28/12/16
High pressure over England on Wednesday. This could allow for a frosty and foggy morning in England and Wales as well as southern Scotland. The fog reluctant to clear some places through the day, but once it has it should be dry with broken cloud. Drizzly skies to th west with low cloud on coasts and hills. best ot the sunshine in eastern and northern Scotland. Highs at 3C in foggier areas, 7 or 8C in the west.

Thursday 29/12/16
The area of high pressure drifts into the continent on Thursday. This still brings lots of dry weather to most of the UK and Ireland. Cloudier skies always tending to be further west with brighter weather in the east. Drizzle for western casts and hills of Ireland and western Scotland. Highs at 3 to 7C.