It’s a tail of two halves for Western Europe these days, all thanks to the positioning of high pressure. As stated previous, when you’ve a northerly positioned high, it’s often unsettled underneath and when it’s unsettled across the north like it will be next week, it’s typically more settled underneath.

Yesterday infrared satellite view shows the dominant ridge extending from Atlantic all the way to Russia while a strong low spun over the still warm western Med Sea.

Check out these incredible lightning images captured from Barcelona last night. Associated with that pretty tightly wound low spinning between Sardinia and Menorca.

This low brought big wind and rain as expected.

Some miner tree damage was reported with gusts up to 75 mph.

Over 4 inches of rain fell in Girona, NE Spain.

Plenty of lightning with this system too.

[s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level1)]

Thank or blame this SST profile for enhanced of convection, rainfall etc.

While it was stormy across the western Mediterranean last night, this was the scene I enjoyed along the shores of Loch Linnhe to the south of Fort William.

As we go through the weekend, there is change happening within our upper atmosphere. As heights lower across the north, they rise further south and by early next week we have a flip.

Latest GFS shows the deflation of heights from 1036 today down to 1012 later Sunday over the UK. Heights hold enough to make for a pleasant weekend with continued fine, dry and mostly sunny conditions but cloud increases Sunday heralding the change that truly arrives overnight Sunday into Monday.

Expect that very Med system to drift north bringing rain and snow to the Alps. It crosses France eventually merging with an Atlantic low over southern England late Sunday while heights build in it’s wake to the south as a fresh surge of heat lifts north from Africa up into Iberia and the Med.

By Monday, we’re back to more classic October weather with cool, wet and windy weather making a return and this looks set to maintain through next week. On the other hand it’s a far different picture over the very areas that are stormy now.

So, as daytime highs rise over Iberia and the western Med they fall over the UK. The return of west to east terral winds means the Costas are likely to see a return to 30s (C) this week. Great news for late season holiday makers.

The pressure flip is noticeable in the temperature anomaly reversal too.

Today

Monday

Though it turns cooler, AHEAD of incoming fronts next week, the UK will see a surge in temps and above normal values, particularly during the overnight.

Check out the anomalies for 18z Tuesday all the way to Scotland.

See this morning’s video for the discussion.

[/s2If][s2If current_user_cannot(access_s2member_level1)][magicactionbox id=”18716″][/s2If]