Weather this week 8 March (onwards)

We have the latest weather report from the Met Office:

The switchback to unsettled conditions is already underway, although today’s rain will not amount to a great deal and thus not realise any impacts. The main thrust of this week’s unsettled weather will come tomorrow night, lasting through Wednesday and out into Thursday. Rain initially will be the main player with some steady and rather persistent rain developing from later tomorrow evening and through Wednesday, Cumbria and N/NE Lancashire the main recipients though other parts of the region will also see some spells of rain, though more intermittent in nature. Further outbreaks of rain will affect the Northwest during Wednesday night but by early Thursday the more persistent rain should be exiting to the east as a showery westerly regime sets up.

The winds will pick up into Wednesday evening and overnight and this is the period when the strongest gusts are expected and when some disruption is possible, the winds then easing a touch through Thursday though still strong/gusty, especially in association with showers.

In terms of warning & informing the rainfall considerations are currently catered for by a green area of concern on this morning’s Flood Guidance Statement which depicts a low likelihood of minor river/surface water impacts across parts of Cumbria and NE Lancashire during Wednesday and at first Thursday. For the winds a new low impact warning is now in force for the whole of the Northwest, attached above, valid from 2100 Wednesday to 1500 Thursday. Given that the strongest gusts are likely to occur overnight Wed/Thu impacts should be relatively limited, some of the more prone trees could be brought down and affect road/rail transport and there are the usual attendant risks to high-sided vehicles on exposed/high-level routes as well as an outside chance of some localised power disruption.

Thursday and Friday will be typical showery, breezy spring days, some of the showers perhaps on the heavy side with hail/thunder, the unsettled pattern continuing into next weekend though with nothing specifically disruptive on the horizon at this stage.