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Issued: 0930hrs Monday 16th January 2006
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling

A Forecasters Best Excuse!

Okay, there are times in forecasting when you have to put your hands up and say "Fair cop guv'". This may be one of those occasions.

For several weeks I've been predicting the return of cold weather around the middle of January, not because of any wish to follow forecasts issued by the UK Met Office, but because our forecast patterns consistently hinted that this might happen.

However, subtle changes over the past week or so should of, perhaps, tempted me to back away from the cold forecast.

So, what about the coming weeks? Well, I think that we are now entering a period of milder conditions, with the winds this week generally from the southwest, leading to mild conditions. However, I don't think the cold air has completely disappeared and we perhaps need to look towards the middle art of next week as the next signal that the cold may return.

Whatever the weather, keep the sun shining!
Simon