The Deeps (Shetland Islands) weather

Headline:

Cloudy at times for Shetland on Monday. Sunny Orkney.

This Evening and Tonight:

Cloudy with rain over Shetland, perhaps heavy in the evening but turning light and patchy overnight. Orkney staying largely dry with clear spells. Light southerly winds. Minimum temperature 4 °C.

Monday:

Remaining mostly cloudy for Shetland with some bright intervals and light outbreaks of rain. A dry day for Orkney with long periods of sunshine. Light southerly winds. Maximum temperature 8 °C.

Outlook for Tuesday to Thursday:

Bands of rain and showers will push northeast through this period. These bands will be interspersed with occasional spells of drier and brighter conditions. Winds strengthening through Wednesday.

Throughout this period, the UK will see a battle between Atlantic weather systems attempting to push in from the west while high pressure and colder, drier conditions attempt to exert some influence from the east. Initially, milder Atlantic air is expected to dominate for most parts, with showers or longer spells of rain. Temperatures are likely to be around or a little above average, except in the far northeast where it is likely to be colder with some sleet or snow. There is then an increased chance that conditions will turn more widely colder and drier. This aspect of the forecast is still somewhat uncertain but the potential transition to colder weather also increases the chance of snow across parts of the country.

Initially, slowly evolving weather patterns are most likely in the vicinity of the UK, with low pressure typically to the west or southwest and high pressure to the northeast. This configuration brings an increased chance of cold conditions affecting the UK, and the associated risk of wintry hazards at times. Deeper into February, whilst confidence is naturally low, there may be a transition to more widely unsettled conditions and a corresponding recovery in temperature back closer to average.