Frosty spell before gales - Easter run-up turns stormy

The run-up to Easter is looking less and less spring-like, with the possibility of a frosty start to Thursday ahead of incoming rain and stormy winds.

While Thursday brings much more sunshine than the cloudy conditions of the week, the clearer morning skies combine with a drop in temperatures in northern regions of the UK, and north-eastern Ireland.

Daily lows fall below freezing in some areas of Scotland, including both Glasgow and Edinburgh in the morning. Conditions for the day are a mix of overcast skies and sunnier spots until the afternoon.

From midday fresh rainfall pushes in from the west into Ireland and Scotland with gusts growing in strength into the weekend.

By Good Friday, the wind strength grows with gusts of around 55 mph in western Ireland, lower but still strong gusts spread across Wales and England too. Rain touches most areas of all countries, turning wintry once again over the Scottish Highlands.

Similar conditions persist into the weekend, with potential to become more potent, maybe even reaching the criteria for a named storm. Check back for a full Easter forecast as the system develops.