ern's: Month ahead: Valid from 28/05 to 24/06 2011 - A dry start, May 24

"Roses are red, Violets are blue; but they don't get around like the dandelions do." - Slim Acres Many areas across southern and eastern Britain are crying out for some appreciable rainfall, more northern areas would perhaps dearly love to export some of the rain that has been experience across northern Britain lately further south? There will be some rainfall in the forecast for these hardest hit areas but it'll probably be too little for many across a large swath of south-eastern and eastern Britain where it would be appreciated, elsewhere showers can be expected to crop up from time to time along with some drier and warmer periods. There is an identified cooling period during mid-month before there's the hint of very warm spell developing later as the month draws to a close. *28/05/2011 - 03/06/2011* High pressure should be sitting close to the UK, likely to be situated to the west, with a mainly light north-westerly flow covering much of the country producing a good deal of dry weather through the early part of the period. The latter stages of the forecast period is likely to see a much more unsettled regime beginning to take effect as low pressure slips in to the country and it turns generally cooler everywhere. Western area should be mainly dry for much of the early part of the forecast period with just scattered and variable amounts of cloud, remaining areas will also see a good deal of dry weather but eastern and north-eastern districts will experience showery outbreaks of rain from time to time. Through the middle period there's an enhanced risk of showers developing more widely as pressure begins to fall quite generally across all areas, although some sheltered southern and south-eastern areas may remain mainly dry for a time. Showers will be breaking out quite widely and these may become heavy, perhaps thundery at times later. The latter stages of the period is likely to see the pattern destabilising as pressure falls across the UK, showers or longer spells of rain can be expected across the whole UK, so perhaps some welcome relief to gardeners and growers, although amounts will be variable from area to area,it'll should be feeling generally cool everywhere. *04/06/2011 - 10/06/2011* If the pattern proves to be correct then it looks as if the UK will be sandwiched between low pressure to the east and an anticyclone to the west or northwest, a cool, unsettled and showery north to north-westerly flow. There are hints that there'll be a drier and warmer end to the forecast period as high pressure ridges into the northwest, with a general rise in pressure expected across the whole country. The cool and generally showery conditions being experienced across southern and eastern areas of the UK should be shunted away to the east as a general rise in pressure takes place to the west or northwest. Showers through western and north-western Britain should ease away and there'll be more in the way of sunshine and drier weather extending slowly eastward into central areas. Showers should become confined to eastern and south-eastern Britain as a ridge of high pressure extends through the UK from the west with the middle forecast period seeing all areas mainly dry and fine with some good sunny spells. The end of the period should see mainly fine and dry weather everywhere and feeling pleasantly warm in some good sunny spells and just scattered cloud amounts. *11/06/2011 - 17/06/2011* High pressure should be ridging through the middle of the country for much of the forecast period, the pressure perhaps somewhat lower to the southeast but the overall emphasis will be centred on mainly dry weather through to mid-period. Thereafter, there are strong hints that pressure will fall across all areas and a rather more unsettled outlook is highly likely by the end of the forecast period. The whole of the UK should see a good deal of mainly fine and settled weather established across beneath a ridge of high pressure, just variable cloud amounts and mainly light winds should be making it feel pleasantly warm, but this may not last beyond the middle forecast period. Low pressure is likely to be bringing a much more unsettled regime to the end of the forecast period as its influence extends across the UK, with heavy and thundery showers breaking out quite widely by the end of the week. *18/06/2011 - 24/06/2011* Low pressure looks as if it'll be in control of the pattern across the whole country through the early and middle part of the forecast period and it'll be feeling generally cool. Drier and warmer conditions are expected to establish from the middle period onward as pressure builds and winds fall lighter. Showers or longer spells of rain are expected to be affecting all areas of the UK at some stage through the forecast period as low pressure slips either over or close by to the UK, perhaps becoming slow moving for a time. Showers can be expected to become heavy and quite widespread for a time although they'll slowly become lighter as pressure rises once more later. High pressure should establish itself as quite a large feature close to the UK by the end of the forecast period, so there's a drier and warmer end to the forecast period in prospect for much of the UK. *25/06/2011 - 29/06/20118 With high pressure stretched across central and northern Britain it is expected to be generally quite warm perhaps locally very warm across the bulk of the UK, lower pressure to the south edging slowly north brings the threat of a thundery breakdown later. It'll be quite warm to very warm in most areas as air is drawn off the near Continent into the country, it'll be feeling increasingly humid, especially later as low pressure moves up from the south and some rather heavy and thundery showers begin to break out. Simon & Captain Bob Email me at simon.keeling@weatheronline.co.uk