Stormy weather to approach UK later this week
For many of us, the first half of January has been characterised by predominantly cold weather, with some places seeing snow.
Altnaharra in the Scottish Highlands saw the temperature drop to -18.9C, making it the UK’s coldest January night since 2010.
Daytime temperatures have widely struggled to get much above freezing, and the cold feel has often been exacerbated by cloudy skies – depriving us of the ever so slightly moderating effect of the weak January sunshine.
However, later this week, there’ll be a big change with our weather. As the jet stream roars back to life, we’ll see a return to wet and windy weather that has been absent since the end of last year.
Storm Éowyn is due to hit the UK on Friday and Saturday, with gusts of up to 90mph. pic.twitter.com/VcaU7dJb8H
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) January 21, 2025
Potential storm on Friday
Amongst the change to more unsettled weather, what particularly stands out at the moment is an area of low pressure that forms over the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday.
By Friday, it will have intensified quickly to become a deep area of low pressure that passes close to or even over the UK, bringing wet, very windy, and potentially stormy weather with it.

As ever, there is still some uncertainty about the exact path and intensity of the low-pressure system. This is crucial, as it will determine which locations see the strongest winds and how strong those winds will be.
Based on the information at the time of writing, and subject to change, the most likely outcome is that Northern Ireland and western parts of Scotland will see the strongest winds.
As a result, the Met Office has issued a yellow warning covering these areas. Gusts inland could reach 50-60mph, with up to 80mph for coasts and hills.
This will be enough to cause disruption to travel and power supplies, damage trees and generate some large waves around the coasts.

Whilst it will be wet and windy elsewhere across the UK, the weather looks less likely to cause problems.
Powerful jet stream
So, what’s causing the sudden change to such unsettled weather?
The answer lies in the jet stream – the fast-moving ribbon of air high in the sky at around 35,000ft – which drives the weather that we experience at the surface.
It’s going to become incredibly strong above the middle of the Atlantic Ocean this week – touching speeds around 250mph high up where the planes fly.
The jet stream is driven by the temperature contrast between the cold poles and warm equator, and the stronger the contrast, the faster it moves.
Currently, there is a very cold plunge of air sinking southwards across the US, and as this collides with warmer tropical air, it is causing the jet stream to become supercharged.

An unsettled outlook
Looking beyond Friday’s potentially storm weather, the jet stream is going to remain active well into next week.
As a result, there could be further spells of wet and windy weather heading our way next weekend and beyond.
However, whilst the generally unsettled theme is certain, how each individual area of low pressure develops is still unknown, so it’s worth keeping a close eye on the forecast this week.
Unsurprisingly, some tabloid outlets are resorting to the usual barrage of hyperbole in their headlines about this week’s weather. So, be careful what you read and always check that the source is credible.
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