Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Helen Caughey said “It’ll be an unsettled New Year weekend for much of the UK. New Year’s Eve for most will be the wetter of the two days, with a number of fronts bringing rain and wind across much of the country. The unsettled weather will stay with us into the evening. Much of Scotland will see a largely dry day, with just the odd shower, before a more persistent band of rain and hill snow arrives. “This will be followed by a more mixed New Year’s Day, with Scotland seeing the bulk of the unsettled conditions, with spells of rain, turning to snow over higher ground, continuing to push north. “While it will be mild across the south, it will remain colder in the north with an ice risk in places here early on Sunday. Elsewhere, a drier day is expected, although with some showers, mainly across western areas, ahead of conditions becoming more widely settled into Monday.” Next week, the outlook suggests a southeast and northwest split will likely develop, as high pressure clings on to the south, with low pressure to the north. This is likely to allow for calmer weather further south and more unsettled conditions further north, with showers, some longer spells of rain and strong winds. However, the details of how this split will materialise remain uncertain, especially with how far south and east any rainfall and strong wind will reach, but confidence should improve in the coming days.
