The Met Office has warned of a wet and windy weekend ahead, with gusts in Brighton and Hove expected to top 40mph.
More than half an inch of rain is expected to fall over the weekend with much of that coming in bursts today (Saturday 6 December).
The official forecaster said: “Low pressure will dominate this weekend, bringing wet and windy conditions for many.
“As we move into the new working week, there is potential for more disruptive weather and further weather warnings may be issued.
“Persistent rain will spread from the west, along with some gusty winds. This may lead to challenging conditions.
“Heavy rain will continue to move eastwards, followed by clear spells and showers. These may be locally heavy, with hail and thunder in the southwest, and windy along the coast.
“Given how wet it has already been, the additional rainfall, especially in western areas, could lead to localised flooding and travel disruption.
“Heavy rain from overnight lingers into Saturday (and) many places will see blustery showers and a brisk south to southwesterly wind.
“Temperatures will be near normal to rather mild, tempered by brisk winds in the south.
“As Saturday draws to a close, attention turn to the next weather system gathering to the west. This system is set to bring almost a repeat performance, with another weather front extending across the country from west to east.
“Sunday begins on an unsettled note for many, with a band of rain arching its way northeastward and spreading steadily across most of the UK.
“This rain will be persistent for a time, especially in the north, but will clear to leave a drier end to the day across much of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.”
More disruptive weather is on the way during the week. Deputy chief meteorologist Steven Keates said: “A deepening area of low pressure will approach the UK from the southwest later on Monday, bringing with it heavy rain and strong winds which are likely to affect the UK between late Monday and early Wednesday.
“At present, the exact track, depth and timings of this low are uncertain which makes it harder to determine where will be most impacted by strong winds and/or heavy rain.
“This system has the potential to cause disruption and severe weather warnings are likely to be issued over the weekend as details become clearer. We, therefore, urge people to keep up-to-date with the latest Met Office forecast.”
To put this in to context
On December 6, 1925, England was experiencing a cold spell with high pressure, leading to very cold temperatures, frost, and foggy conditions in the south.
Temperature: The weather was very cold. At 9 am on December 5, 1925 (the closest date available in specific records), the air temperature recorded at the University of Reading in Berkshire was a notably low -2.9°C (26.8°F). This indicates a widespread, sharp frost.
Conditions: The first week of December 1925 was particularly known for being foggy in the south of England, with one fog in London on the 4th so dense that “day was like night”.
Wider Context: The period up to Christmas in 1925 was generally cold across the country. This cold, wintry weather created ideal conditions for winter sports, with ice covering stretches of water in and around London, allowing thousands of people to go skating.
To put this in context, we had very poor weather forecasting in 1925.
This particular forecast is not very accurate in that it’s re written from a Met Office press release which covered the forecast for the whole country.
As of Saturday evening, we already know the forecast detail was not that good for our local detail – in its wind and rainfall accuracy.
But the general forecast was spot on – namely that the active jet stream is sending small lows our way resulting in periods of rain and stronger wind.
The nature of small lows, spun up by the Jet Stream makes them difficult to predict accurately, and hence the divergence in the many forecasts available.
Watch out that the forecasts on your phone will generally be linked to the American GFS system, because their basic data is available for free. But other models are avislbel, including the UK Met Office one.
What was accurate with this early Met Office forecast was how on Friday we were in a sector of colder air – but that, by Saturday, the air warmed up a lot.
Sunday still looks wet, and the wetter weekend day, as I type this.
Billy long
I appreciate your input, but I don’t intend to debate this further