Remaining unsettled through the week ahead

A succession of Atlantic weather systems will drive wet and often windy weather across the UK and a number of National Severe Weather Warnings are already in force for the start of the week.

On Monday a band of blustery rain will move in from the west, initially affecting Northern Ireland and western Britain. As this rain meets colder air across northern areas, snow is possible on the leading edge over higher ground, especially across the Pennines and Scottish mountains.

A deep area of low pressure will then bring a further spell of wet and windy conditions later Monday and into Tuesday. Gusty winds are likely in exposed locations, and additional heavy rain for some sensitive areas that have already seen persistent wet weather in recent days could lead to some flooding. Farther north, colder air will linger for longer, meaning hill snow remains possible on the northern edge of the system.

Met Office Chief Forecaster, Steve Willington, said: "Unsettled conditions will continue through the week, with a combination of rain, brisk winds and some further hill snow, particularly in northern areas where colder air remains in place. While many areas will see typical late January conditions, there is enhanced potential for some impactful weather on Monday night into Tuesday. We encourage people to keep up to date with the latest forecasts and warnings as details evolve."

The UK Health security Agency (UKHSA) has issued cold weather alerts for northern areas of England valid from Monday 26^th to Friday 30^th January. These will be reviewed and may be updated over the coming days.

Further ahead

Looking beyond midweek, conditions will remain unsettled. Weather systems will continue to move in from the Atlantic bringing further spells of rain, especially across southern and western areas, continuing to bring the risk of some localised flooding. Hill snow will remain a possibility across northern upland areas whenever precipitation interacts with colder air. Weather warnings may be updated over the coming days as confidence increases in the detail of these systems. Please stay up to date with the latest National Severe Weather Warnings on our website.

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