Met Office Forecasts Substantial Northerly Outbreak During Coming Week — Weather Forecast Met Office
The weather forecast met office points to a substantial northerly outbreak during the coming week after April 2026 ended warm. The colder air is expected to reach Britain unevenly, with Scotland most exposed and the south likely to stay milder.
April 2026 was widely in the top 10 warmest Aprils on record, and the Central England Temperature series put the month at 10.4°C, above the 1991-2020 normal of 9.0°C. April 2025 reached 10.9°C and April 2020 stood at 10.6°C, while April 2021 was much cooler at 6.6°C.
Scotland Faces The Coldest Air
The forecast says Britain will be at the end of the line for the northerly. The coldest air may struggle to make it south of northern Scotland, and during the middle part of next week there will be widespread frosts in Scotland, especially in the north.
Northern Scotland may also see some wintry showers for a time. Sleety precipitation at low levels and snow on high ground are possible there, while England, Wales and Ireland will not generally be cold enough for frost or snow.
May Weather Patterns
The current outlook fits a pattern that has been missing from the previous four Mays, when cold northerly winds were less common in the first half of the month. May 2024 was the warmest May on record for the UK, and May 2025 was warm, dry and sunny.
Northerlies did appear in three Mays in a row in 2019, 2020 and 2021, and those spells brought snow and frost to Scotland. The last time snow fell widely in May in England was in 2010, when sleet and snow showers developed from the Midlands northwards on 11 May 2010.
May 2026 Outlook
After the northerly, May 2026 is likely to turn unsettled, with low pressure dominating. Bands of rain are expected to mix with brighter showery weather, and thunder and hail may become common.
For readers in Scotland, the immediate issue is frost and possible wintry showers in the middle of next week. For readers elsewhere, the change is a drop away from the warm, dry pattern that has dominated the end of April.
