UK Set For Snow And Storms This Weekend

After a mild week, the weather is due to change on Friday with the arrival of a powerful jet stream delivering low pressure systems. 

Heavy rain and gusty winds will move southeast, with blustery showers following.

It will turn colder as the more persistent rain clears, bringing snow to hills in Scotland and Northern Ireland. 

Friday night may also see snow settling in low levels of northern Scotland for a time.

The weekend will be colder overall and will stay unsettled, with further rain and gales expected, but southern parts will be milder and drier on Sunday.

There will be more snow on northern hills too. 

Flooding will become an increasing risk in the northwest, especially for western Scotland.

On Sunday night, a nasty storm may pass to the north of the UK, bringing the risk of very strong winds to Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Looking ahead to the start of the meteorological winter, computer models are suggesting December will be mild and unsettled, even stormy at times.

That's not to say we won't have some cold spells, but it looks like any significant cold and snowy weather will be in the new year - if at all.

Looking back, it's hard to believe the UK and Ireland have only seen one brief cold snap this autumn.

After a relatively cool September, there were headlines of a cold and snowy winter ahead, but there was no real evidence for that.

October turned out mild overall, and November is likely to be even milder.

Provisional figures for the first 15 days of November show maximum temperatures a warm 3.8C above the UK average.

That makes it the second warmest start to November since records began in 1772.

Despite the mild conditions, it has been quite stormy at times, with Abigail and Barney around the middle of the month.

Then last weekend saw our first proper cold spell as northerly winds dragged in air from the Arctic, giving our first widespread night frost.

That's quite late in the season.

There was also some snow, even to low levels briefly, but nothing unusual for this time of year.