November weather: Getting colder

By Terry Scholey Independent weather forecaster

Terry Scholey predicts a wet and windy start and end to the month

November will be very different from October, although it will be very mild at the beginning and end of the month.

However, you can expect these mild spells in weeks one and four to be wet and windy.

Mid-November should be much colder with the first air frosts of the coming winter and there could even be a little sleet or wet snow.

I use solar activity readings to predict the weather and have been forecasting for more than 50 years.

November's weather in detail

The first week of November will be unsettled, with Atlantic systems giving wet and windy weather at first. There will be strong winds giving gusts in excess of gale force, but it will be very mild to begin with.

Brighter spells will follow but there will be a scattering of blustery showers. Towards the end of the first week winds will decrease but it will turn colder, as a depression fills and drifts onto the nearby continent.

The second week should bring a rise in pressure and a change to mainly dry weather, with sunny spells. However, it should be noticeably colder.

The first slight air frosts of the coming winter should follow before it becomes changeable with showers by mid-November.

Showers could be wintry into the third week, perhaps falling as sleet or wet snow mostly on hills, before it probably becomes brighter and mainly dry again around the 18th, bringing the return of overnight frost.

Light winds for a few days could then lead to mist and patchy perhaps freezing fog that could linger.

The final week of November may begin bright, but it could be increasingly unsettled. Showers could be wintry in places leading to overnight icy patches, followed by more general rain later, that could be preceded by some sleet or snow.

The month should then end on a wet and windy, much milder note when there could be heavy rain and gales.

Temperatures

The mean average temperature should be close to normal, with cold weather mid-month probably compensated by very mild conditions at the beginning and end of November.

Locally very cold days could occur around the 19th, should freezing fog linger.

Rainfall

Wet at first and probably again at the end of November, with showers around mid-month perhaps turning wintry.

Between there should be a fair amount of dry weather, with totals likely to be around or slightly below normal for the time of year.

Sunshine

The sunniest weather seems most likely into the second week and around the 19th.

It could be duller and perhaps gloomy around or just after mid-November for a time, with totals probably close to normal, although patchy fog will cause variations.