Latest news with #JoRobinson
Sky News
04-04-2025
- Climate
- Sky News
'Avoid BBQs in parks,' people warned - amid 'severe' wildfire rating
The UK could see its warmest day of the year so far on Friday - as a "severe" rating for wildfires remaining in place across the country. Temperatures could reach as high as 24C in parts of central England, as weather "nearer to what we'd expect in July" continues, the Met Office said. It means the UK is set to be hotter than Marbella and Ibiza in Spain, Mykonos in Greece, and even Los Angeles in California on Friday, according to Met Office forecasts. Sky News meteorologist Jo Robinson said the weather will continue to be "dry and sunny" into Saturday and Sunday. She said daytime temperatures are expected to remain above average in the south and west, with the cool wind easing next week as high pressure becomes centred over the UK and Ireland. The highest temperature recorded so far this year was 21.3C in Northolt, west London, and Chertsey, Surrey, on 20 March. The average temperature for this time of year is around 12C in England and 10C in Scotland. It comes as the Met Office has predicted a "severe" likelihood of wildfires breaking out across parts of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, due to current weather conditions. The forecaster said the combination of "ongoing dry, warm, but often breezy, weather" could lead to further outbreaks of fires after blazes broke out in Dorset and Scotland earlier this week. The "severe" wildfire rating was first issued by the Met Office on 1 April. The Met Office said it will be downgraded in some areas from Sunday, but remains at an amber level in the South East of England. Warnings not to use BBQs Ahead of the warm weekend, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) has advised Londoners not to have barbecues in open spaces, to avoid inadvertently starting a fire. LFB assistant commissioner Paul McCourt said: "We want everyone to enjoy the sunshine, but we urge people to take the necessary precautions to stay safe and help prevent a grass fire from starting. "The Met Office has issued an amber wildfire warning, covering London, and this will be in place for the rest of the week. "As the weather warms up and we head towards Friday and the weekend, we would urge Londoners not to have barbecues in open spaces or on balconies, including disposable barbecues, to throw rubbish away, and to dispose of cigarettes carefully to avoid inadvertently starting a fire." A similar warning was issued by the Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service, who posted on Facebook to warn: "Wildfires spread fast, leaving behind scorched landscapes, lost habitats, and can be a big strain on firefighter resources. "Don't let carelessness be the cause!" Several hectares of woodland in the Moors Valley Country Park on the Dorset-Hampshire border have already been destroyed due to wildfires that broke out on Monday and Wednesday. Two more major wildfires at nearby Canford Heath in Dorset were also tackled by the Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service overnight into Thursday morning. While in Scotland, a large grass fire at Gartur Moss in Port of Menteith, Stirling, stretched for half a kilometre. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said there is a "very high to extreme" risk of wildfire remains across the country until Monday and urged the public not to light fires outdoors. What has caused the UK's wildfires? Wildfires are not that unusual during spring in the UK, but recent dry weather has raised the fire risk, Sky News weather presenter Kirsty McCabe says. She says that during March, Scotland recorded around 64% of its average March rainfall, with southern Scotland only recording 49%. According to provisional figures from the Met Office, the UK recorded just 43% of its average rainfall for March. "If we look at the UK as a whole, March was a very dry month, with below average rainfall for many," McCabe says. She adds that the impact of drier than average weather is that the moisture levels in soil and plants are reduced, which results in drier and more flammable vegetation. The Met Office has said an area of cloud and showery outbreaks of rain moving northwards across south-west England and parts of Wales on Friday night may bring some relief to some parts of the country struggling with dry conditions.
Sky News
20-03-2025
- Climate
- Sky News
UK weather: Hottest day of the year so far with temperatures 'well above average'
Today is the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures set to go "well above average" the Met Office has said. After a warm spell earlier this month, the weather took a chillier turn. Earlier, the forecaster said temperatures on Thursday could rise as high as 21C (70F) in places, and they have already hit 20.6C (69.1F) in Northolt, Greater London. This beat the previous hottest day of the year of 19.7C - set earlier this month. Heathrow Airport, Chertsey, Surrey, St James's Park in London, and Santon Downham, Suffolk, all also recorded temperatures higher than this - and they could rise higher still to 22C. Sky News weather producer Jo Robinson said: "It's the spring equinox - the first day of the astronomical spring - and it's likely to be the warmest day of the year so far. "It'll be warm and sunny just about everywhere Thursday afternoon, with 21C (70F) possible in the south. "There's a small chance that 22C (72F) could be seen. "London, the Home Counties, the south Midlands, western areas of East Anglia and parts of the West Country look most favoured to see temperatures above 20C (68F) today, perhaps even the west coast of Wales. "Anything above 19.7C would be the highest temperature of the year so far." Parts of the country are expected to be hotter than Barcelona in Spain and Athens in Greece - with highs of 15C and 12C expected respectively. The highest recorded UK spring equinox temperature was 21.5C (70.7F) in 1972. Earlier, people gathered at Stonehenge at sunrise to mark the equinox. The warm weather is down to a high-pressure system to the east of the UK which is currently helping draw warmer air north across the country. Thursday's sunshine could be broken by some cloud in central parts of England. A wetter weekend Moving into Friday and the weekend, the weather is expected to be more unsettled. While the last day of the working week will remain warm for many, some will experience rain moving in from the southwest. Sky News weather producer Jo Robinson added: "Friday will bring some rain to the west, but the warmth will hold on across much of Britain. "More cloud and a strengthening wind mean temperatures probably won't be quite as high as today, but 20C (68F) is still possible somewhere across an area from northwest Scotland to southeast England." She added: "The weekend will bring more widely unsettled conditions, with temperatures lower than previous days, but perhaps still a little above average. "There'll be some milder nights too, with only a limited frost." Meteorological spring always starts on 1 March while astronomical spring begins around 20 March each year. The former is based on the annual temperature cycle and the latter is based on the Earth's position in relation to the Sun.
Sky News
20-03-2025
- Climate
- Sky News
UK weather: Today could be hottest day of the year so far with temperatures 'well above average'
Today is set to be the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures "well above average" the Met Office has said. After a warm spell earlier this month, the weather took a chillier turn. But later today temperatures look like they could rise as high as 21C (70F) in places. Sky News weather producer Jo Robinson said: "It's the spring equinox - the first day of the astronomical spring - and it's likely to be the warmest day of the year so far. "It'll be warm and sunny just about everywhere Thursday afternoon, with 21C (70F) possible in the south. "There's a small chance that 22C (72F) could be seen. "London, the Home Counties, the south Midlands, western areas of East Anglia and parts of the West Country look most favoured to see temperatures above 20C (68F) today, perhaps even the west coast of Wales. "Anything above 19.7C would be the highest temperature of the year so far." Parts of the country are expected to be hotter than Barcelona in Spain and Athens in Greece - with highs of 15C and 12C expected respectively. The highest recorded UK spring equinox temperature was 21.5C (70.7F) in 1972. Earlier, people gathered at Stonehenge at sunrise to mark the equinox. The warm weather is down to a high-pressure system to the east of the UK which is currently helping draw warmer air north across the country. Thursday's sunshine could be broken by some cloud in central parts of England. A wetter weekend Moving into Friday and the weekend, the weather is expected to be more unsettled. While the last day of the working week will remain warm for many, some will experience rain moving in from the southwest. Sky News weather producer Jo Robinson added: "Friday will bring some rain to the west, but the warmth will hold on across much of Britain. "More cloud and a strengthening wind mean temperatures probably won't be quite as high as today, but 20C (68F) is still possible somewhere across an area from northwest Scotland to southeast England." She added: "The weekend will bring more widely unsettled conditions, with temperatures lower than previous days, but perhaps still a little above average. "There'll be some milder nights too, with only a limited frost." Meteorological spring always starts on 1 March while astronomical spring begins around 20 March each year. The former is based on the annual temperature cycle and the latter is based on the Earth's position in relation to the Sun.
Sky News
18-02-2025
- Climate
- Sky News
'Spring-like' weather on the way as forecasters predict new high
"Spring-like" weather is on the way this week, with highs of up to 16C. But it's not quite time to dust off the barbecue - the warmer temperatures will also bring "unsettled" conditions, the Met Office said. The balmier forecast comes after snow and ice warnings at the start of the week, including a yellow weather warning across parts of Scotland that ended at 12pm on Tuesday. It is likely to stay cold overnight, with sub-zero temperatures for many and outbreaks of rain developing over Northern Ireland and Scotland. Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Tony Wisson, said: "Milder but unsettled conditions are moving in from the Atlantic later this week. "As the week goes on, we're set to experience wetter conditions with showers and bands of rain moving in from the Atlantic. Western hills will see the highest rainfall totals, with 75-100mm possible here, building up from Wednesday to Friday. "There will be brighter and sunnier spells in between bands of rain. With temperatures possibly as high as 16°C on Thursday and Friday, it will feel much more spring-like than of late." The weekend is looking better - with mild temperatures and sunny spells mixed in some rain, and gales in some coastal areas. 'Unbroken sunshine expected' today Jo Robinson Weather producer @SkyJoRobinson After the recent cold and grey conditions things are changing this week. Firstly, it has been much brighter in the south than of late, with almost unbroken sunshine expected across England and Wales on Tuesday afternoon. It will turn milder from Wednesday too, with temperatures several degrees above average on Thursday and Friday. Temperatures then will widely reach 12 to 14 Celsius (54 to 57F), with highs of 16 Celsius (61F) possible. Average February temperatures are more like 7 to 9 Celsius (45 to 48F). Overnight frosts look unlikely after Tuesday night too. Saturday doesn't look quite so mild, but Sunday will see temperatures picking up again. It may be turning milder, but it will become more unsettled, with spells of wind and rain from Wednesday. The rain will be heaviest on western hills, with 48-hour rainfall totals to the end of Friday reaching 50 to 90mm. The ground is quite wet, even though it's been dry recently, so localised flooding is possible. Strong winds will be a concern too, with coastal gales at times, especially in the west on Friday. At the moment no weather warnings have been issued, but that may change with improving confidence in the forecast.
Sky News
11-02-2025
- Climate
- Sky News
Why is the UK so cold at the moment - and how long will it last?
The UK is currently gripped by gloomy and chilly weather. Temperatures are a "good few degrees" below where they should be for this time of year, according to the Met Office, and various places such as Northumberland and County Durham have already been covered in snow. What is causing this spell of cold weather, and how long is it expected to last? Why is it so cold? High pressure over Scandinavia has led to a blocked weather pattern across the UK and Ireland, Sky News meteorologist Jo Robinson says. A blocked weather pattern is where a weather system remains almost stationary for a relatively prolonged period of time. The current weather pattern bringing in cold winds, coupled with thick cloud caused by low pressure from the North Sea, is causing the chilly weather. On the weekend, temperatures fell to -8.6C in Altnaharra and Kinbrace in Scotland, with the same area measuring -7.6C on Monday. When cold air comes over from the east, it can be referred to as the Beast from the East - which the UK experienced in 2018 when temperatures plunged to lows -14C. But Robinson says that is not what is currently happening, as air over the Baltic States and Russia is not as cold as it would typically be at this time of the year. How long will it last? Below average temperatures are set to remain for the rest of the week, although winds will be "not quite as brisk" from midweek onwards. "The bulk of the UK even to the end of the week stays in this cold air, often quite cloudy, but drier generally away from that far west and south-west corner at the end of the week," Met Office meteorologist Marco Petagna said. Sleet and snow is expected on higher ground on Wednesday, but most places away from the northwest are expected to "escape the frost," according to Mr Petagna. It is the end of the week when a "battle" will begin between "high pressure to the east and low pressure to the south west", according to the Met Office. This risks bringing rain and wintry flurries across the UK, but is currently predicted to be contained to only west Cornwall and Ireland. What about next week? Next week brings even more uncertainty, but recent calculations suggest that the chilly eastern winds will stick around, Robinson says. She says if the air over the Baltic States and Russia does get colder, it could lead to "bitter conditions" reaching the UK, bringing with it "wintry hazards". Milder, wetter weather will keep trying to move in from the southwest, with a change "likely towards the end of next week". But northeastern parts of the UK will hold onto colder, drier conditions for longer. How can there be climate change when it feels so cold? Anyone who has spent even a week in the UK knows just how frequently the weather can change. Sky News climate reporter Victoria Seabrook explains that this feature of our island nation is set to continue in the long term, even as the planet gets hotter. Global heating is measured over the course of years and decades. But that doesn't mean every single day, month or year will be hotter than the last, scientists say. There will still be fluctuations, and British weather will remain characteristically variable. The UK is already about 1C hotter on average than in the 1950s, according to experts at the Met Office. That shows in the fact we are getting less frost and snow - but it doesn't mean that we no longer have any. Weather varies day to day and in different parts of the world, but the world's climate is only getting hotter.
