A MUCH wetter and windier spell is expected during the forecast period and beyond with limited drier periods.

This is due to the Atlantic jet steam firing up and the end result will be a convoy of low pressure systems and their weather fronts heading towards our shores by the end of this coming weekend.

However, before that materialises, a large Anticyclone sitting over Scandinavia and central Europe will protect our neck of the woods from advancing Atlantic depressions trying to target the British Isles.

In simple terms, this means that after a couple of generally dry days, the weather is going to go downhill with increasing cloud amounts and the increasing likelihood of showers or more general rain breaking out .

This precipitation is likely to be heavy in nature and occasionally accompanied by very strong or possibly gale-force winds.

However, at the time of producing this forecast, it does look as though there will be, albeit fairly short-lived dry and brighter periods in the mix.

Daily maximum temperatures are likely to be slightly above average during the next few days. However, next week I expect temperatures to go down substantially.

A top temperature of about 18C can be expected during the next few days.

Overnight minimum air temperatures may drop to about 5C in the coldest spots around dawn the next day.

Generally, it will be too breezy for ground frosts to form but if calm conditions develop in well-sheltered spots it cannot be dismissed along with a few mist and fog patches in river valleys.

Looking at the extended outlook for the following week, I expect further unsettled weather. Readers can keep up to date with Andy’s daily weather forecasts on Twitter by typing in Weather UK Hampshire @southcentralwe1.