When will we see the 'return of the westerlies'?
Paul Hudson
High pressure is now firmly in charge of our weather, although certainly for much of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire it鈥檚 been disappointingly cloudy.
听
A feed of moist northerly air around the periphery of the area of high pressure is to blame, with southern and western parts of the UK most favoured in these situations.
听
Nevertheless, the predominantly dry and settled conditions which were predicted around 10 days ago look set to continue well into next week.
听
It鈥檚 at this time of the year that climatologist Professor Lamb鈥檚 work is of interest.
听
He studied 100 years of weather patterns to determine whether any repeated themselves.
听
One of the patterns which Lamb discovered is called the 鈥榬eturn of the westerlies鈥�, during the second half of June.
听
It describes a resumption of an unsettled and changeable pattern of weather, with areas of low pressure and associated rain-bearing weather fronts spreading eastwards across the UK from the Atlantic.
听
This follows a period through late spring and early summer when westerly winds are at their weakest.
听
Some models are indicating a more unsettled westerly pattern at the very end of June and into the first week of July; although in forecast terms it鈥檚 still a long way off.