Weather updates from across the UK and implications for infrastructure - 2026

[whole diary]

[CyclingSid]

Severe flood warning issued for Christchurch in Dorset (BCP in modern parlance):
Severe flood warning for Lower Stour at Iford Bridge Home Park https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/target-area/111FWFSTOL819

Might be best not to plan a Christchurch to Poole run this Saturday.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Ahem!

Returning to the topic, an update from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Snow and heavy rain forecast as Met Office warning issued

A weather warning for heavy rain has been issued for England's south coast - with the prospect of snow also possible.

The Met Office said the rain could lead to some flooding and disruption to travel from 06:00 GMT on Wednesday to 08:00 on Thursday.  Forecasters said areas affected by the warning included Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire.

During the weather warning, the Met Office said "some snow" could fall over higher ground, mainly on Wednesday night. "Strong east to north-easterly winds will accompany the rain and or snow which could exacerbate impacts in places," forecasters added.

The Met Office said 10-20mm (0.4-0.8 inches) of rain was "expected quite widely", with a few places forecast to get up to 30mm (1.2 inches) along with as much as 50mm (two inches) possible over Dartmoor.

A separate weather warning for snow has been issued from 16:00 on Wednesday until 06:00 on Thursday for parts of Wales and central England by the Met Office.

[Chris from Nailsea]

It gets a bit worse - from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Snow and rain warnings as cold snap continues

Forecasters have issued warnings for snow and heavy rain in parts of the UK^▸ (United Kingdom).

A widespread, sharp frost is expected by Wednesday dawn, with a yellow Met Office snow warning issued for most of Wales and parts of western and central England. A yellow warning for rain covers southern parts of England, stretching from Kent to Cornwall.

The Met Office says there could be some flooding and disruption to travel.

It comes as north-westerly winds have led to a sharp drop in temperatures across the country in recent days, with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issuing a cold weather alert covering most of England until 18:00 GMT on Friday.

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Please, do be aware - and careful - out there, if you are travelling.

CfN^▸ (Chris from Nailsea, an administrator on this forum).

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Flooding may worsen as unsettled weather expected to last for another month at least

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Groundwater flooding has been affecting Salisbury in Wiltshire for several weeks

Extensive flooding is ongoing across parts of the UK^▸ (United Kingdom), especially in southern and central England.

The Environment Agency and Met Office have come together to warn homeowners and businesses to remain vigilant as the wet weather is due to continue for another month.

Around 60 flood warnings and 180 flood alerts are still in force across England, as well as two flood alerts in eastern Wales.

The saturated ground means that floodwaters are only very slowly receding in many places. High tides and strong winds may also bring tidal flood risk along parts of the coast.

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January rainfall was well above average in large parts of southern England, eastern Scotland and Northern Ireland

This year so far has been dominated by successive areas of low pressure which have brought heavy and prolonged rainfall across many areas.

A series of named storms including Goretti, Ingrid and Chandra have been interspersed with brief drier spells, but a blocking area of high pressure to the east has led to consistently unsettled conditions for several weeks. Southern England, eastern Scotland and Northern Ireland had one of their wettest Januarys on record.

Wet conditions persisted into the start of February too. Parts of eastern Scotland received more than twice the monthly average rainfall in just the first two weeks. Some places in southern England have seen rainfall every day this year. The last dry day in Cardinham in Cornwall was 30 December.

In Somerset approximately 29 square miles of the Levels and Moors have been flooded.

Whilst this winter has been exceptionally wet in places, it is unlikely to be as wet as the winter of 2013-14 - the UK's wettest winter on record.

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Flooding from rivers and groundwater in Somerset has been ongoing since early January

The heavy rainfall we have seen during autumn and winter has been much needed because it has followed a significant drought that developed in 2025 across parts of England and eastern Scotland. The UK saw its hottest summer on record, as well as the driest spring in England since 1893.

Groundwater levels and reservoir stocks across much of the UK have risen significantly over recent weeks. Bewl Water reservoir in Kent is currently more than 88% full, compared to just 42% back in October 2025.

By mid-January all of England was declared drought-free for the first time since May 2025.

(BBC article continues)

[Chris from Nailsea]

At last! 

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Spring-like warmth to peak on Wednesday with 18C forecast

Spring is just around the corner, but for some of us it feels like it has started already.

Tuesday was the warmest day of the year so far but the temperature on Wednesday could be even higher.

A change to mild south-westerly winds from the Atlantic has given temperatures a boost.

While the number of flood warnings has fallen, the rain has not gone away, however.

The recent milder air has been a welcome change from the earlier cold and very wet weather.

The switch came over the weekend with each home nation recording their highest temperature of the year so far.

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Maximum temperatures on Wednesday compared with the average

(BBC weather article continues)

[ChrisB]

Doesn't last - 'normal' temperatures on Thursday

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thanks, ChrisB - ever the optimist. 

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Gale-force winds to batter UK^▸ (United Kingdom) as snow and cold set for comeback

Some travel disruption is likely in the next few days as strenghtening winds develop across the United Kingdom.

On Wednesday a Met Office yellow warning is in force for gusts up to 80mph (130km/h) expected across northern and western Scotland.

But, it will turn more widely windy for most of us during Thursday.

Temperatures will then drop into Friday with a return to some wintry weather, with snow on higher ground.

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Strong winds will develop on Wednesday and Thursday across parts of the UK

A deepening area of low pressure between Scotland and Iceland on Wednesday is bringing strong westerly winds, gales and even touching severe gales.

The Met Office has a yellow warning in force until 12:00 GMT in western and northern Scotland for gusts to reach 65-70mph (105-110km/h) and a small chance of up to 80mph (130km/h) in some locations.

The strongest winds will initially be felt in the Outer and Inner Hebrides before spreading into northern mainland Scotland and Orkney later on.

There could be some travel disruption such as cancelled ferries, flight delays and bridge restrictions for high-sided vehicles.

(BBC article continues)

"Some travel disruption is likely in the next few days as strenghtening winds develop across the United Kingdom"

Hopefully, Simon King, the BBC Lead Weather Presenter, is rather better at forecasting than spelling.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

UK^▸ (United Kingdom) set for temperature rollercoaster as chilly nights follow warm days

High pressure lying over the UK means that above average temperatures and spring sunshine will continue for the next few days.

All four UK nations have seen their warmest weather of 2026 so far over the past two days, with Friday set to bring another warm day - possibly the warmest yet this year for Scotland and Northern Ireland. But the clear skies that bring the sunshine and warm conditions also mean that overnight temperatures can drop significantly.

Some locations in the Midlands and southern England experienced a day/night temperature difference of around 21C following Wednesday's warmth which was followed by a sharp frost Thursday morning.

Clear skies and light winds this time of year can mean that the Sun warms the ground quickly by day, pushing temperatures up in the strengthening spring sunshine. However, with a lack of cloud overnight, this also means that radiation escapes quickly once the sun sets.

During spring, we still have relatively long nights, and cool surface temperatures, meaning the variation in temperatures over a 24 hours period can be particularly stark.

South Newington in Oxfordshire reached 19C on Wednesday, then plummeted to -2.4C overnight. Meanwhile, Woburn in Bedfordshire reached 19.4C before tumbling to -1.6C.

These huge swings are known as the diurnal temperature range. Put simply, it's the difference between the highest and lowest temperature of the day.

Afternoons are normally the warmest part of the day because the sun has had time to warm the ground and surrounding air, whilst the coldest time is usually dawn as the ground has lost heat throughout the night.

(BBC article continues)

[ChrisB]

From The Met Office

A warm, sunny weekend before a return to cooler weather and even a chance of snow

Much of the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) will enjoy a warm and settled weekend, with long spells of sunshine and temperatures climbing into the mid to high teens, thanks to high pressure dominating the weather.

Any early mist and fog could be slow to clear, but once it does, conditions will be largely fine and dry.

However, from Sunday the weather begins to change. A weakening band of cloud and patchy rain will move southeast across the country, followed by sunny spells and scattered showers in the north. Some of these showers may turn wintry over higher ground.

Met Office Chief Forecaster, Steve Willington, said: “While the early part of the period brings warm sunshine for many, it’s not unusual to see colder spells and even some wintry showers in March. As we head into next week, a shift to a cooler north‑westerly flow will bring a drop in temperature and more unsettled weather, including some hill snow in the north and brisk winds at times. This pattern is entirely typical for the time of year.”

Early next week, a more mobile Atlantic pattern develops, with rain spreading into northern and western areas on Monday and Tuesday, occasionally turning to snow over the Scottish mountains. Stronger winds are expected in the north, with coastal gales at times.

By Wednesday, the UK will be in a cooler and more unstable north‑to‑north-westerly flow, bringing frequent showers, some heavy and wintry over higher ground. Snow could possibly reach lower levels in the north later in the day. Temperatures will be near or a little below average.

Towards the end of the week, higher pressure is expected to build again from the west, reducing showers and easing winds. However, temperatures are likely to remain on the cool side, with some overnight frost possible.

[Phil]

I used to work with an ex-Met Office employee, a chap who had formerly been a regional TV^▸ (Thames Valley, or TeleVision, depending on context) presenter. This was around a decade ago now. It was him that put me onto using the Norwegian data (yr.no is the website) instead. He maintained that the Met Office had built so many climate change and global warming predictions into their database, many of which are turning out not to be happening in quite the way they expected, that it's becoming more and more unstable. The Norwegians on the other hand have been far more pragmatic, relying on historic activity rather than predicted global changes, as a result of which their forecasting simply tells it as it is.

yr.no is currently predicting sleet overnight on 27th March for West Wilts. We shall see....

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Traffic on M4 as M48 Severn Bridge closed due to strong winds

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The bridge is expected to be shut "for some time"

The M48 Severn Bridge has been shut in both directions due to strong winds. The bridge is closed between junction 2 at Chepstow and junction 1 at Aust.

Traffic monitoring site Inrix is reporting congestion on the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge westbound and on the M49 heading northbound.

National Highways has advised drivers to allow extra time on their journeys, with more than an hour delay on the M4 between junction 22 and junction 23.

The Met Office is reporting heavy rain and wind gusts of up to 44mph.

National Highways said: "Strong winds are forecast throughout the evening so we expect the bridge to be closed for some time."

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Storm Dave set to batter UK^▸ (United Kingdom) with gales and blizzards over Easter weekend

Storm Dave has been named by the Met Office and threatens to bring severe gales and blizzards in the north of the UK over the Easter weekend.

Yellow warnings for wind and snow have been issued for Saturday night and Sunday with a deep area of low pressure expected to pass across the north-west of the country.

Damage, power cuts and travel disruption are likely.

It is just one part of a very mixed Easter forecast which will bring heavy downpours alongside spells of warm sunshine.

Huge temperature contrasts across the USA and Canada have helped to supercharge the jet stream - the flow of strong winds high in the atmosphere that spins up weather systems and guides them around the globe. And confidence is growing that this will propel a deep area of low pressure towards the UK on Saturday.

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The centre of Storm Dave is expected to pass across the north of Scotland

The Met Office has issued yellow warnings for wind covering all of Scotland and Northern Ireland, as well as large swathes of northern England and north Wales.

The warnings are valid at various times on Saturday afternoon, overnight and into Sunday. Widespread gusts of 50-60mph (80-97km/h) are expected with the chance of 70mph (113km/h) gusts in exposed areas, especially around coasts.

Central and northern parts of Scotland could see winds peaking at 80-90mph (129-144km/h) with large waves bringing dangerous conditions along the coasts.

Winds as strong as these bring the threat of damage, power cuts and significant travel disruption. Some roads and bridges could close, which could have major impacts on what is predicted to be the busiest Easter in four years for drivers.

Disruption to train and ferry services is also possible.

(BBC article continues)

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Amber wind warning issued as Storm Dave set to hit parts of UK^▸ (United Kingdom)

An amber wind warning has been issued for Saturday evening as Storm Dave is expected to bring "disruptive and potentially damaging winds" to parts of the UK.

The warning, covering northern England, north-west Wales and southern Scotland, will begin at 19:00 BST and is due to expire at 03:00 on Sunday.

The Met Office said injuries or danger to life could occur as a result of flying debris, with potential travel disruption and a "good chance" of power cuts.

A series of yellow wind and snow warnings are set to take effect on Saturday afternoon as the country braces for a blustery Easter weekend.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

[JayMac]

Tis a little windy here in Taunton. I've just returned from watching Somerset v Notts at the County Ground. Grim, cold, but caps staying on in the field, so Rodney isn't that strong in this part of the UK^▸ (United Kingdom).