WW WEEKLY FORECAST FOR Monday 26th July- Sunday 1st August 2010

ISSUED Sat 24th July 0930BST

Monday 26th looks likely to see a warm & quite humid flow across the south & SW with an area of high pressure to the SW of the UK ridging NE, so after some mist & drizzle with low cloud patches in the west and SW and a rather muggy night in the south & SE, sunny periods developing. Some cloud building though by day inland with sea breezes setting in possibly enough to give a shower or two inland in Kent later on. The north & east staying clearer overnight then seeing good sunny periods by day. Further north & west across N & W Scotland a front pushing NE bringing showery rain by the afternoon; temperatures reaching 21-24C widely in the south, as well as Wales and N Ireland & locally 26C in the southern home counties but just 16-19C in the cloudier NW’ern areas & some exposed coasts, so a rather chillier day overall here.

Tuesday 27th will probably see the ridge sink SE wards over the south during the day as fronts push SE across the far NW bringing cloudier weather into most northern areas; some mist fog & low cloud may develop inland overnight in southern areas too. By day the mist will soon clear with sunny periods developing but showers will develop later on as temperatures rise in the south, some heavy and rather slow moving.  A band of showery rain working south east through Scotland too but tending to peter out as it does so. However N Ireland and Northern England will probably stay dry all day. Sea breezes keeping it a bit cooler round coasts but temperatures generally about average inland in most southern and eastern parts at 21-25C, up to 27C in the urban SE though but more like 16-18C generally further north & west and a cool 13-16C in the far Northern Isles

Wednesday 28th looks likely to see the ridge pushing back into the north and west by day as the upper cold pool causing the showers moves away SE, some clear spells inland in central & eastern areas may allow some mist patches but a mainly cloudy night for most with some showery rain continuing in the east and SE at times and continuing into the morning being rather slow moving- it will be generally moving SE by day and by the afternoon may give some more heavy showers over Kent with local thunder but generally brightening up by day in other areas after low cloud burns off to start with more in the way of sunny periods developing. The central south and SW generally staying sunniest by day though some cloud will develop.  Temperatures reaching 21-22C in the sunniest southern parts and locally 24C in Dorset & Hants but more generally 16-20C further north & east and a notably chillier 12-14C across Highland & N Scotland and the cloudier N Isles.

Thursday 29th looks set to see the ridge straddling the central and southern UK as a front move east north east across much of Scotland. Mainly cloudy again overnight for most parts with some mist, fog or low cloud forming, bands of showery rain moving further north across to western Scotland and maybe N Ireland too, giving some quite locally heavy bursts in places. Otherwise further south drier & clearer and the  south, SW & SE in particular will likely see good sunny periods by day and maybe the Midlands Wales & East Anglia quite pleasant too. By the late afternoon the heavier showery rain clearing away from the far north but more mainly well scattered showers developing in places here and N Wales and north western England seeing more in the way of the rain belt by then though tending to fizzle out as it moves down into the high pressure area. Maximum temperatures a warm or very warm 24-27C in the south and east but more like 19-23C elsewhere & on exposed cloudier coasts and the north only 14-18C

Friday 30th seems likely to see the ridge of high pressure dominate especially in the west. A reasonably dry sunny start in most northern parts though still a lot of cloud in places as the slow moving weakening front influences the more central areas still with some light rain & drizzle about but generally any early low cloud and mist burning off allowing a dry and fairly sunny day in the south and SW, though some cloud infill later on inland. Sea breezes on coasts. Temperatures in the south & east inland in decent sunshine reaching 22-25C but more like 17-21C in the west generally and in N and central Scotland and the N Isles a rather cool 13-16C.

Saturday 31st and Sunday 1st August are probably likely to see a mainly settled spell for as high pressure dominates to the west of Ireland with a ridge eastwards across most parts though with an upper cooler NW’ly flow probably across NE’ern areas on Saturday but the south and west will see higher pressure generally and remain mainly fine but confidence is only moderate; probably rather cloudy for many in the north and east on Saturday with perhaps some showery rain about, some decent sunny periods at times too in the more sheltered eastern areas though. Further south & west across most of England , Wales and N Ireland too bright with some good sunny periods but a few showers may develop by the afternoon on Sunday across inland high ground in the north. Temperatures over the weekend by day in the south will likely be  a bit above average for late July/early August at 23-24C & locally 25C in the sheltered south but more like 18-23C further west and around coasts &  only 15-18C in the far north & west, which along with the cloud and breeze will make it feel quite chilly at times.   
 
FEATURES TO MONITOR THIS WEEK

*Some local fog patches, mist and low cloud inland by night
*Low cloud and fog over some coastal areas in sea mist/haar/fret at times
*Some heavier showery outbreaks with a risk of thunder & heavy rain possible during midweek, mainly in central southern England and the Midlands on Tuesday, East Anglia & Kent on Wednesday and then western and central Scotland on Thursday, these all quite slow moving too