Met Office forecasts 'colder than normal' weather for February

February could bring another blast of winter after forecasters predicted “colder than normal” temperatures by the middle of the month.

While long-range forecasts are harder to predict, there are “hints” of the shift to colder weather over the next two weeks, according to Channel 4 weather presenter Liam Dutton. It comes as temperatures in the UK grew milder this week following an ice cold Arctic blast that led to days of sub-zero conditions.

Sharing a longer range weather map from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), Dutton said: “Early days, and subject to change, but some hints of a shift to colder than normal weather by mid February.” He added that it was “one to watch” to see if the trend is consistent.

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The map shows blue areas of below average temperatures, with red showing above average. Blue areas are centred across the whole of the UK, showing predicted temperatures of between -1C and 0C. Forecasters at Netweather also say that current models suggest February could be “the coldest month of winter”.

The Met Office say that northerly winds could bring colder conditions and wintry weather could be felt in the UK in the first week of February and pushing in to the middle of the month. The forecaster said: “Through mid-February there is an increasing likelihood of more settled conditions with winds arriving from the north. This would increase the chance of some colder spells, with a greater likelihood of wintry conditions at times, particularly in the north and east.”

The forecaster added that “there is an increased chance of colder than average conditions compared to normal as we head through the rest of this winter, with an increasing risk of cold weather impacts such as snow and ice”. Yahoo News UK has contacted the Met Office, ECMWF and Netweather for further comment.

Weather warnings

It comes as yellow weather warnings for wind are in in place across northern England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland on Wednesday. The Met Office has warned that some bus and train services could feel the impact of strong winds, with journeys taking longer in affected areas.

Heavy rain and gales will spread across the north on Wednesday morning, with weather warnings in place throughout the day. Wind gusts are expected to be between 55mph and 75mph within the warning zones, with the potential to reach 85mph in parts of the far north of Scotland. However, southern parts of the UK will remain dry and breezy, with temperatures reaching peaks of between 10C and 12C during the day on Wednesday.