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Issued: 0730hrs Wednesday 11th January 2006
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling

Mild few days ahead, but the cold will return...

I've been scanning the output from global computer models over the past few days, looking for a signal that the models were starting to follow our 30-day forecast and hint at cold weather returning.

Well this morning, I think the models have for the first time, picked up on this developing story.

The charts heading into the early part of next week show low pressure moving southeast to the south of Ireland and eventually reaching Iberia. The effect of this is that high pressure builds over the British Isles with the easterly winds returning, mainly to the south.

Of course, the next questions are how cold and how long will it last? Well, my 30-day forecast calls for the cold weather to last, on and off, for a couple of weeks. It is hard to put detail on this yet, but best to be prepared for cold weather to come, and perhaps some snow flurries in the east, these moving inland during the back-end of next week.

Of course, I'll keep you up-to-date over the coming days.

Keep the sunshine shining!


Simon