The Arctic blast has arrived and we have a cold week ahead – unusually cold for April.

I hope you enjoyed the really quite pleasant day yesterday – I certainly did, was nice to be sat outside in the sunshine having a beer…and a roast dinner…for the first time this year. Hence why the forecast is this morning rather than the evening…as I suspect that I might be needing an early night!

Thanks to Andy for the photograph.

Monday starts with a weak weather front slipping south, with some patchy rain turning to sleet or snow – mostly light and also patchy so you may not see much at all. More sunshine in the afternoon, some cloud around, feeling cold in the northerly wind – 6’C at best. Clear skies overnight with a frost for all, down to around -2’C, still breezy.

For Tuesday we remain in the cold northerly flow – high pressure to our west, low pressure to our east.

It will start sunny but cloud will bubble up as the morning goes on, and there will be a few showers developing – they could fall as rain, sleet or snow – or a mixture, though more likely snow, especially if you catch a fairly heavy shower. That said, showers not likely to be especially widespread, so around a 50% chance of catching one or two. 6’C and feeling cold in the fairly strong northerly wind. Clear skies overnight with a frost for all, down to around -2’C.

Wednesday starts sunny. Cloud will gradually thicken from the west during the morning, and it will be rather dull in the afternoon – a small chance of a light rain shower. Still on the cold side, around 8’C, the wind lighter and more north-westerly in origin. A frost possible overnight, though will depend on cloud amounts – somewhere between -1’C and 2’C.

Thursday looks rather cloudy, though temperatures mixing out with some milder air as we temporarily lose the cold source. Some sunshine at times, more likely morning, but cloudy skies fairly dominant. 11’C. Mostly cloudy overnight with a weak weather front slowly spreading south, bringing a bit of patchy rain from the early hours onwards. Around 3’C, give or take.

Friday then sees the Arctic air try to push south again.

Most likely rather cloudy, a bit of sun at times and the odd shower. Around 10’C but feeling chilly as the northerly wind returns. Likely cold and frosty overnight, down to around -2’C.

Details uncertain for Saturday – though I do expect it to be cold, the question remains over sunshine amounts and the potential for showers. Broadly, something like cold and sunny in the morning, more cloud in the afternoon with the odd shower (perhaps wintry) seems the more likely broad pattern – but potential for sunshine all day (but cold) or even some rain spreading up from France instead. Around 8’C. Frost probable overnight.

The most likely outcome for Sunday is cold but broadly settled. Some sunshine, some cloud, a small chance of a shower and around 8’C.

Beer Garden re-opening day is most likely rather cold still – so if you have plans for outdoor drinking and dining at the beginning of the week, wrap up warm! I’m hopeful for a return to milder conditions during the week, possible quite warm or warm – but whether that is by, say, midweek, or the weekend, is uncertain. Well, it isn’t certain it will happen – but is the more likely outcome in my view.

Fairly weak signals for the latter part of April – drier and sunnier than normal is more likely, but temperatures are the big uncertainty – they will depend on where high pressure situates itself, and that could easily be in a cold position like this week for at least some of the time. And still some showers at times.

Enjoy the…erm…return of winter.