Kirkwall (Orkney Islands) weather

Headline:

Rather cloudy. Mainly dry.

This Evening and Tonight:

It will be a mainly dry evening and night. Shetland will stay cloudy, perhaps some patchy light rain at first, while a few clear intervals are likely across Orkney. Minimum temperature 5 °C.

Thursday:

A mainly dry and quite bright day with the cloud breaking at times to allow some sunny intervals. Light to moderate southwest breeze. Maximum temperature 8 °C.

Outlook for Friday to Sunday:

Friday mainly dry and bright but some rain later. Saturday bright, showery, colder northwest breeze. Sunday windy, occasional rain, milder again.

Monday looks like a mainly dry if largely cloudy day. However, the far north will see some rain, especially northwest Scotland, with some light rain and drizzle likely for west-facing hills elsewhere. All parts will be mild. Around the middle of next week, low pressure may dominate, with a spell of mild, wet and windy weather for most places. Thereafter, while high pressure may try and build at times, especially in the south late in the period, the more likely scenario is for an unsettled regime to dominate. Spells of wind and rain, perhaps with some hill snow in the north, are likely, followed by blustery showers, these most frequent and perhaps wintry at times in the northwest. Temperatures will vary around average, with oscillations between colder and milder interludes.

Mainly unsettled conditions appear more likely than not for most, with spells of wind and rain followed by showers affecting most areas but especially towards the northwest of the UK. Some sleet and snow is also likely at times, especially on high ground in the north. However, there are also some signs that more settled conditions are possible at times, these perhaps most likely across the south late in December and into early January. Temperatures are likely to be around or slightly above average overall, but with any more settled interludes bringing a risk of frost and fog.