Hellmannetjes op komst en een leuke eerste kerstweek in het verschiet ?
Bill Giles
Updated 24 November 2003.
Bill explains how he makes his long range forecasts or listen to him describe it here.
Some drier, colder, frosty weather as we move towards Christmas
As we approach December, our thoughts, naturally, move forward to think of the weather around the Christmas period. Will it be cold and snowy or mild and wet?
As it seems to be every year, the meteorological models show the weather breaking down around that time, so, as last year, we shall have to wait and see.
Saturday 29 November to Friday 5 December
I expect low pressure to dominate the scene at the beginning of this week which, actually, is at variance with some of the meteorological models. The low pressure could well move through Scotland before a ridge of high pressure builds in, but it will not last very long, and low pressure is likely to return before the end of the week.
At the beginning of the weekend there is a chance that some parts of England and Wales will still be in the cold, frosty weather, with sunny spells during the day. This will not last very long as wet and windy weather over Scotland and Northern Ireland pushes down across the country.
The rain will be heavy at times, as it was over this last weekend in southern England, especially over Northern Ireland, Wales, western Scotland and western parts of England, where the westerly winds will be strong and gusty as well.
During the week, the rain will clear away eastwards as a weak ridge of high pressure moves in. This will give a short, quiet spell of weather with frost and fog at night, but some sunny spells by day, especially in the afternoons.
By the end of the week, wet and windy weather will return across all parts of the United Kingdom from the Atlantic.
Saturday 6 December to Friday 12 December
This week could well see a change in the weather taking place with low pressure eventually being replaced by a building high.
England and Wales will have a pretty miserable wet and windy weekend, with the heaviest rain and the strongest winds in the west, where they could reach gale force on some coastal headlands.
This wet weather will last until the middle of the week when the pressure will start to rise. As it does so, the rain will die out, the winds will become light, and under the clearing skies there will be a widespread frost at night.
Fog patches are also likely. These could take a while to clear, and indeed, may linger all day in some valleys, where it will stay very cold. However, in most places, the fog will clear slowly during the morning to give some weak winter sunshine.
Scotland and Northern Ireland will also have a wet weekend with strong to gale force westerly winds, and this very miserable weather will last well into the working week. Clearer weather will edge up from the south in the latter part of the week so that by Friday much of Scotland and Northern Ireland will be dry but with fog and frost night and morning.
Saturday 13 December to Friday 19 December
My current thoughts are that the high pressure will dominate the weather this week, getting us all into the seasonal mood as Christmas approaches.
So, for all of the country, it will be a dry fine weekend. However, it will feel cold with a widespread frost and dense patches of freezing fog. With the winter sun quite weak at this time of the year, the fog will lift and clear only very slowly. In some places, such as the Vale of York, The Thames Valley and eastern parts of Wales, it may not clear at all, leaving those areas very cold and miserable all day.
But for most places the mist and fog will clear slowly to give some weak afternoon sunshine before descending again before dark. For many people, travelling to work and back could take a very long time in extremely difficult driving conditions. Untreated roads and pavements will, almost certainly, have some dangerous icy patches.
There is also a hint that for a short while the pressure may decline a little allowing the winds to bring in some wintry showers to Scotland and the north facing coasts of Northern Ireland, Wales and England.
Saturday 20 December to Wednesday 24 December
This is a tricky one, as always, because I have an idea that the high pressure will give way a little and allow more unsettled weather to move in from the north.
So the scene is set; the week before Christmas it should be cold and frosty with some sleet and snow showers over Scotland and the eastern parts of England. Some of the showers could well turn out to be quite heavy near the east coasts.
As we move towards Christmas Eve, weather fronts could be moving in across Scotland and Northern Ireland bringing rain. This may well be preceded by sleet and snow, which will be moving southwards.
So are we getting lined up for a white Christmas? I will try and be more specific next week!
Bill Giles
Updated 24 November 2003.
Bill explains how he makes his long range forecasts or listen to him describe it here.
Some drier, colder, frosty weather as we move towards Christmas
As we approach December, our thoughts, naturally, move forward to think of the weather around the Christmas period. Will it be cold and snowy or mild and wet?
As it seems to be every year, the meteorological models show the weather breaking down around that time, so, as last year, we shall have to wait and see.
Saturday 29 November to Friday 5 December
I expect low pressure to dominate the scene at the beginning of this week which, actually, is at variance with some of the meteorological models. The low pressure could well move through Scotland before a ridge of high pressure builds in, but it will not last very long, and low pressure is likely to return before the end of the week.
At the beginning of the weekend there is a chance that some parts of England and Wales will still be in the cold, frosty weather, with sunny spells during the day. This will not last very long as wet and windy weather over Scotland and Northern Ireland pushes down across the country.
The rain will be heavy at times, as it was over this last weekend in southern England, especially over Northern Ireland, Wales, western Scotland and western parts of England, where the westerly winds will be strong and gusty as well.
During the week, the rain will clear away eastwards as a weak ridge of high pressure moves in. This will give a short, quiet spell of weather with frost and fog at night, but some sunny spells by day, especially in the afternoons.
By the end of the week, wet and windy weather will return across all parts of the United Kingdom from the Atlantic.
Saturday 6 December to Friday 12 December
This week could well see a change in the weather taking place with low pressure eventually being replaced by a building high.
England and Wales will have a pretty miserable wet and windy weekend, with the heaviest rain and the strongest winds in the west, where they could reach gale force on some coastal headlands.
This wet weather will last until the middle of the week when the pressure will start to rise. As it does so, the rain will die out, the winds will become light, and under the clearing skies there will be a widespread frost at night.
Fog patches are also likely. These could take a while to clear, and indeed, may linger all day in some valleys, where it will stay very cold. However, in most places, the fog will clear slowly during the morning to give some weak winter sunshine.
Scotland and Northern Ireland will also have a wet weekend with strong to gale force westerly winds, and this very miserable weather will last well into the working week. Clearer weather will edge up from the south in the latter part of the week so that by Friday much of Scotland and Northern Ireland will be dry but with fog and frost night and morning.
Saturday 13 December to Friday 19 December
My current thoughts are that the high pressure will dominate the weather this week, getting us all into the seasonal mood as Christmas approaches.
So, for all of the country, it will be a dry fine weekend. However, it will feel cold with a widespread frost and dense patches of freezing fog. With the winter sun quite weak at this time of the year, the fog will lift and clear only very slowly. In some places, such as the Vale of York, The Thames Valley and eastern parts of Wales, it may not clear at all, leaving those areas very cold and miserable all day.
But for most places the mist and fog will clear slowly to give some weak afternoon sunshine before descending again before dark. For many people, travelling to work and back could take a very long time in extremely difficult driving conditions. Untreated roads and pavements will, almost certainly, have some dangerous icy patches.
There is also a hint that for a short while the pressure may decline a little allowing the winds to bring in some wintry showers to Scotland and the north facing coasts of Northern Ireland, Wales and England.
Saturday 20 December to Wednesday 24 December
This is a tricky one, as always, because I have an idea that the high pressure will give way a little and allow more unsettled weather to move in from the north.
So the scene is set; the week before Christmas it should be cold and frosty with some sleet and snow showers over Scotland and the eastern parts of England. Some of the showers could well turn out to be quite heavy near the east coasts.
As we move towards Christmas Eve, weather fronts could be moving in across Scotland and Northern Ireland bringing rain. This may well be preceded by sleet and snow, which will be moving southwards.
So are we getting lined up for a white Christmas? I will try and be more specific next week!
"Koersen, dat is stampen en afzien tot ge niet meer weet van welke parochie ge zijt." (Briek Schotte)
"Mist lapjes zijn ook waarschijnlijk"