The start of March is forecast to see temperatures dipping below average once again
The start of March is forecast to see temperatures dipping below average once again
The relatively settled conditions much of the UK enjoyed over the weekend will be short‑lived. This week, another Atlantic weather system will push in from the southwest. The Met Office said temperatures will be on the milder side early this week, but a more significant change in the weather pattern looks likely later this week.
The Met Office said: “High pressure will begin to build both to the south of the UK, associated with the Azores High, and across parts of the North Atlantic near the USA.
“At the same time, high pressure will strengthen across Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. With high pressure building to both the south and northeast of the UK, and low pressure persisting nearby, a more blocked pattern is expected to establish.”
The Met Office continued: “This shift means that rather than weather systems arriving from the southwest, they will increasingly track in from the north or northwest. As a result, north-westerly winds are likely to develop from Thursday onwards, becoming more prominent into Friday and next weekend.
“This change will bring colder‑than‑average temperatures across much of the UK, with showers more widely distributed and potentially lingering for longer.”
The start of March is forecast to see temperatures dipping below average once again. Minimum temperatures will also fall, suggesting the continued risk of frost, most likely in northern areas, but possible further south as well.
A number of UK cities will be impacted by wintry conditions from March 9, according to WXCharts. Temperatures as low as -13C are forecast for some areas. Parts of the UK that could be hit by chilly conditions include Liverpool.
In the Met Office’s long range weather forecast from March 10 until March 24, it said: “Changeable conditions will probably dominate during this period, with Atlantic frontal systems spreading across the UK. These will bring spells of rain and perhaps strong winds, with the wettest conditions in the northwest.
“The southeast will likely be driest, perhaps with some longer spells of dry weather developing for the south later. Temperatures are likely to be near to or slightly above normal overall.”
The Met Office previously explained: “The ‘Beast from the East’ is a phrase used to describe cold and wintry conditions in the UK as a result of a polar continental air mass. When pressure is high over Scandinavia, the UK tends to experience a polar continental air mass.
“When this happens in winter, cold air is drawn in from the Eurasian landmass, bringing the cold and wintry conditions that give rise to the ‘Beast from the East’ moniker.”
The weather forecaster continued: “The characteristics of the air depend on the length of sea track during its passage from Europe to the British Isles. The air is inherently very cold and dry and if it reaches southern Britain, with a short sea track over the English Channel, the weather is characterised by clear skies and severe frost.”
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