The Met Office has debunked reports that an Arctic blast and snow will "cover the UK" during January. There have been news reports that a vortex of cold air, similar to the the one that brought the Beast from the East in 2018, is approaching the UK.
But the forecasting service has told WalesOnline that the most likely outcome for January is that it will continue to remain "changeable with temperatures generally on the mild side". Alex Burkill, senior operational meteorologist, said that after a chilly day on Monday, January 2, in Wales it will "turn wet, windy and milder" on Tuesday.
He added: "There will be some heavy rain for Wales, 40-50mm likely over the mountain. The rest of the week will be changeable but mild with wind and rain more of a concern than anything wintry."
Looking towards the rest of the month, he said: "At the moment the most likely outcome for next week, and much of January, is a continuation of the current westerly pattern we have. As such it will remain changeable with temperatures generally on the mild side. That being said, some colder interludes are likely."
The Met Office forecast for Wales this week says: "After a cold and bright start on Monday, staying dry for most with plenty of sunny spells, although a few isolated showers developing in the north during the morning. Winds staying light and feeling chilly compared to Sunday. Maximum temperature 8°C. Staying dry into the evening, although cloud building from the west later. A band of rain and strong winds moving eastwards across the country overnight, with the rain locally heavy. Minimum temperature 0°C."
For the rest of the week, it says: "Early rain clearing on Tuesday in the east to leave a drier, cloudy morning. Patchy rain developing again in the west by lunchtime, then widely wet and windy later. Milder than Monday. Maximum temperature 12°C. Remaining unsettled with blustery showers on Wednesday. Cloudy with further outbreaks of rain and strong winds developing during the day on Thursday. Becoming brighter and calmer through Friday."
The long-range forecast for January from BBC Weather gives a similar outlook, saying it will be "mostly mild and unsettled until later January".
The forecast adds: "With a vigorous jet steam ploughing across the Atlantic, the United Kingdom will be subjected to unsettled but mostly mild conditions through the first couple of weeks of 2023, with a sequence of Atlantic low pressure systems passing by. We will be periodically buffeted by strong to gale force winds and bouts of rather heavy rain, with some wintriness at times in the north, mainly Scotland. The first fortnight of the year will see little chance of any sustained cold developing, but developments in the second half of the month remain unclear."
Reports elsewhere claimed the "UK could be covered in snow very soon as a 'Beast From The East' vortex forms." They said that "within ten days, the country could be covered in snow, with Arctic temperatures and icy winds coming shortly after, quoting Exacta Weather forecaster James Madden as attributing the weather to "a sudden stratospheric warming event" that "is now looking even more likely to occur this winter and this could happen as soon as in the next ten days or so"..
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