After days of sub-zero temperatures the Met Office has forecast when exactly it's going to start to get milder across Wales. It was been an eye watering -7°C in some parts of Wales on Tuesday night into Wednesday, with ice and snow gracing the country. However, things could be looking up, with weather presenter Derek Brockway says it will feel almost "tropical".
In a forecast on Tuesday (December 14), he said it was 4°C or less in Cardiff with Arctic maritime air, but it will be "14°C next Monday with tropical maritime air". The Met Office agrees saying wintry conditions will continue until the weekend, before milder and wetter weather sweeps in to create a temporary reprieve.
Nevertheless, a number of of weather warnings for snow or ice are in place across the UK for wintry hazards as the cold weather continues for now.
Read next: BBC's Derek Brockway predicts big weather change next week
Temperatures will start to rise on Saturday but will be felt the most on Sunday into next week. By Sunday lunchtime temperatures will be back into double digits, reaching 12°C on the west coast in St David's and Pembroke, and even 10°C in land at Llandovery. By sunday night every part of the country will be over 10°C.
Paul Gundersen, a Met Office chief forecaster, said on Tuesday: "Over the last week, the UK has been held in a northerly airflow bringing cold, sometimes Arctic air, to the UK. We will still have this northerly influence to our weather patterns until the weekend, but then the cold conditions will lose exclusive dominance over the UK’s weather patterns and we will move into a regime where relatively mild and relatively cold conditions will vie for supremacy.
“We can expect changeable conditions with colder and milder air not too far away from our shores, but it does seem that the Atlantic ‘has woken up’ compared with recent days and will be a stronger influence, countering any further bouts of extreme cold conditions, although spells of further wintry weather remain possible through the rest of December."
The Met Office forecast for Wales:
Outlook for Friday to Sunday:
Sunshine and the odd wintry shower on Friday. Cloudier with more showers on Saturday. Rain and initial snow expected on Sunday, but gradually turning much milder, albeit windy too.
Outlook Monday 19 to Wednesday December 28:
Monday is likely to be wet to start for many, with outbreaks of rain, heavy in places, and perhaps still some snow over northern Scottish mountains. Brighter weather is expected to follow, although with showers, wintry at times, spreading from the northwest in the afternoon.
Showers or longer spells of wet weather are expected to continue in the following days, perhaps with some snow at times, mainly to higher ground. For the rest of the period, confidence is low, however conditions may continue to be changeable, with the occasional wetter periods bringing rain or showers.
Northern parts are likely to be most unsettled, where a risk of snow persists. Generally rather windy, although some lighter winds possible. Temperatures close to normal in the south, and rather cold in the north.
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