The blocking high remains dominant over Europe which is essentially holding back the gather Atlantic low pressure traffic back with only soft glancing blows through the remainder of this week for the Northwest.

Nice visible satellite view of a busy North Atlantic.

As the Atlantic pattern sluggishly returns to the UK resumes, ridging regroups at the more traditional lower latitudes and so the stage is set for surges of spring warmth to lift north. A southward deepening Atlantic trough often reflects the northward push of the Azores high and the models are all over a spring warm surge this weekend into early next week for the UK before a north-south split develops.

Our first 16 or 17C of the year is quite possible. Next week’s north-south split could host chilly winds and hill snow for Scotland while the spring mildness holds across the bulk of England and Wales!

For winter weather lovers, despite the SSWE at the beginning of February, it appears mainland Europe witnessed the greatest impact but is there further repercussions from this late in the month? Certainly in the near term, the AO/NAO is holding positive.

This backs UK mild.