After the relatively quiet and dry conditions many of us have had for much of December there are now signs that much more unsettled weather is heading our way in the lead-up to Christmas.
As many plan festive visits to friends and family the weather is getting more disturbed.The windiest and wettest weather is likely to be in the north and west of the UK, particularly Northern Ireland and the north and west of Scotland. Other parts of the UK are also expected to see increasingly windy weather.
The wet and windy weather, which is as a result of a succession of deep Atlantic low pressure systems, gets underway tomorrow (20 December) with the northwest expecting a band of rain, heavy at times. There will also be strengthening winds which could reach severe gale force in the extreme northwest of Scotland.
“The disturbed conditions look like continuing through Christmas weekend with the chance another vigorous low pressure system may head our way. Therefore it is worth staying up to date with the latest forecasts”.
Keep up to date with the weather using our forecast pages and by following us on Twitter and Facebook, as well as using our new mobile app which is available for iPhone from the App store and for Android from the Google Play store.
You can now keep track of the weather across a number of locations using our App. You can use the ‘day’ view during the countdown to Christmas or the ‘hourly’ view, to help you plan out your day. We also have a Christmas app campaign to help with Christmas planning.
You can find the Met Office app by searching ‘Met Office’ in app stores.
For more information on preparing for winter, please check the Met Office Get Ready for Winter pages.
Why has the weather changed?
Recent conditions in North America – with cold Arctic air sinking far southwards – has brought unusually cold weather to parts of North America. This cold air encounters relatively warm air in the western Atlantic. This creates a strong temperature gradient along the boundary between the two air masses which will strengthen the jet stream – a high-altitude fast-flowing wind which often brings low-pressure systems and storms to our shores. As the jet stream then comes east across the Atlantic, it drives areas of low pressure towards the UK, with associated spells of strong winds and rain.
Keep Up to date with local weather news at http://www.metoffice.gov.uk
