While Easter doesn’t fall on the same dates each year, we’ve witnessed all weather types and seasons with dates ranging from as early as March 22nd and as late as April 25th.
Quite as few past Easter weekend’s have produced a little bit of everything given the high volatility ‘transition’ from winter to summer.
The Friday through Monday long weekend has witnessed temperatures as low as -12.5C at Braemar in 2013, as warm as 29.4C at Camden Square in 1949, as windy as 106 mph at Needles in 2016, as wet as 108.7mm in 24 hours at Seatoller, Cumbria in 1991, as sunny as 14.1 hours of sunshine at Kinloss in 2014 and some have seen plenty of snow! See more!
What Could Easter weekend 2026 have in store?
A Series of Deep Lows?
When it comes to deep low pressure presence over or near our shores at this time of year, you know it could be interesting and highly changeable with perhaps a tease of summer or switch back to winter, most certainly wet and windy!
Exact track & depth of lows Friday through next Monday this far out remains uncertain, Surges of warmth ahead of approaching fronts, then gales/severe gales, heavy rain followed by showers of rain, hail, sleet and snow is all possible.
Away from the centre of low pressure (SE Eng) and it could turn around pleasant enough with breezy, sunny conditions and 16C or higher but nearer the centre of the low (NW Scotland) and it’s quite the different experience with strong wind, rain followed by blustery showers and 7 or 8C feeling like 0C.
Thursday looks to see a brief ridge of high pressure topple in behind a departing front and ahead of the next. A mix of sun and cloud, light winds and temps ranging from 7C in North, 14C South.
Good Friday
Overnight Thursday into early Good Friday shall see a front track eastwards across the UK with a developing feature that will lift northeastwards. The front and developing low (could be more developed or less developed at this stage!) will bring a spell of wind and rain for pretty much all but wettest and windiest (40-60+ mph gusts) in NW bringing a spell of rain followed by blustery showers. With colder air moving in behind the front and low, precip could turn wintry above 300m in N Eng/Scot.
Temps range from 7 in North, 13C South, cooler with wind.
Saturday – Easter Sunday
A second, more mature system is expected to develop to the SW over the open Atlantic and deepen as it lifts northwards crossing Ireland/W or NW Scot during Saturday. This low is expected to continue deepening (960s/70smb) as it lifts NE over Ire/NW Scot/poss NW Eng bringing a spell of heavy rain and strong to gale force winds for most. While 30-40, perhaps 50mph winds are likely for most of UK during particularly the 2nd half of Saturday, the worst of the wind (60-75, perhaps 80+mph gusts) will focus on northern/northwestern areas of the UK including Ireland Saturday night.
As the centre lifts northeastwards, so colder air shall sweep in providing a risk of snow above 300m with rain, sleet and hail possible to low levels across most of Scotland, possibly N England and Wales.
As of late Tue 31/3, both ECM and GFS have the centre tracking up the west side of Ireland and making a close approach on NW Scot late Sat eve at between 960 and 970mb.
Some big contrasts in temperature midday Saturday! Temps will rise through first half of the day then fall away through the 2nd with overnight Sat into Sun being cold for all.
Cold, blustery for all Easter Sunday with wintry showers in North!
Midday Easter Sunday temps/anomaly off latest GFS run (this is subject to change in coming days of course)
Easter Monday
It’s an improving picture through the second half of Easter Sunday into first half of Easter Monday with winds switching to a southerly and strengthening courtesy of a sub-960 low west of Ireland. This direction of strengthening winds ushers in milder air to all. The good news is the 3rd and deepest of the three Easter weekend lows looks to stay WEST of both UK and Ireland. Windy yes but mild and blustery rather than cold, wet and windy!
FEATURED IMAGE CREDIT: Dreamstime
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