Winter 2025/2026

[GloriaSmud]

We’re a few weeks from the start of meteorological winter on the 1st December but there are already some musings on websites about what the next season might bring….

So here are the thoughts of:

Netweather ~ (Vegemiteandhoneyontoast posted a link to this one on the Autumn thread).....
https://www.netweather.tv/weather-forecasts/news/13184-winter-202526-outlook-what-four-decades-of-weak-la-nina-winters-tell-us

Two from TheWeatherOutlook…..
https://www.theweatheroutlook.com/weather-news/7632/winter-2025-26-weather-outlook
https://www.theweatheroutlook.com/weather-news/7672/uk-snow-or-cold-snap-in-november---here-is-what-the-model-data-says

And SevereWeatherEurope (a new one that I haven’t come across before, has some well put-together explanations)….
https://www.severe-weather.eu/long-range-2/winter-2025-2026-outlook-colder-season-forecast-for-united-states-canada-europe-fa/

My thoughts (more gut feeling than anything and based on the weather we’ve been having recently!), is that we’re veering towards a fairly quiet but colder than average winter. I don’t think we’ll have many storms but there’ll be rain at times (which will go some way towards upping the reservoir levels.) I think there’ll be some cold snaps (maybe more at the start of winter), plenty of sunny days and nighttime frosts. Hopefully (for those that like it!), we’ll get some snow and the chances of that will increase if the quiet, settled weather stays and systems from the Atlantic try to move in. Any snow will probably last a day or two rather than the ‘so much snow that the country grinds to a halt,’ sort of thing.

So we’ll see if any of these predictions come true!......

The Met Eireann forecaster on Irish radio this morning was warning that all areas are at risk of flooding today, regardless of being under an actual colour warning or not.

Meanwhile, I can see that the yellow orb is out here in Brussels although it is cold (we’ve had a lot of rain, and low grey clouds, too - and heavy snow causing unexpected chaos on Sunday but it was melting Sunday night as we had more heavy rains).

Highways people were out all over the place this morning clearing drains and ditches by the roads. I’m guessing that they are expecting more rain. The river is looking very high again.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: It has not rained today (yet - there is still 2 hours to go). That makes only the 3rd day this year and ends 44 consecutive days of rain.

Some poor Cornish village clocked up 50 consecutive days yesterday.
www.bbc.co.uk/weather/articles/cvgkpemk2kno#:~:text=For%20the%20small%20Cornish%20village,experienced%20was%2030%20December%202025.

Yay, Rafa ~ it might only be the 3rd dry day this year but it's a start.

It's still looking unsettled at times but it looks like there is warmer/drier weather on the way for some over the next few days...

I am hearing it is raining again today in Dublin. It has rained on and off today in Brussels, but the clouds are a little higher than recent days so it is not quite so depressingly grey.

It is raining again here. It should be ok for the next few days after this.

Despite the forecast saying we would have two mild dry days, you guessed it, it rained most of the day.

The sun did appear briefly, just as I sat down at the hairdresser’s…😬It was raining again when I came out. Forecast now showing those two pleasant days on Tues/Weds; we shall see!

I’m slightly excited about next Weds! 16 degrees with sun and cloud! We shall see…

This coming week looks positively Spring-like ~ which will make a change from endless days of dull and wet. Although it'll still be changeable, it'll be nice to see some 🌞

Looks like other countries are going back into the depths of winter though...

16? That sounds borderline unbelievable for February (having said that, even we are forecast 13)

I couldn't quite get over it being 12 degrees yesterday. I had to keep going back out, such was the novelty. And then just standing in the garden acclimatising my senses to the mild surroundings (and, lighter skies) I dressed entirely inappropriately for my first outing and ended up taking my scarf off as inwas sweating. By later on though, I'd gotten the hang of this warmer malarkey and went without coat. Coatless, I tell you.

Itching to get out there this morning. We are taking the dog to Tynemouth Market. No doubt it will be heaving.

Wow. Never has the imminent arrival of Spring felt so welcome!

It will be a ‘false spring’ or whatever it’s called. We all get our hopes up that spring is on the way then it’s back to freezing again the following week!

Ohhh just checked my highly unreliable weather app on my phone and I see 17 and full sun for Wednesday. I may take the day off and lie in the garden I feel that sun starved!

My Alps trip delivered lots in the way of heavy snow but very little sun!

Looks like being a mild week ahead but there could be rain for the north and west towards the weekend...

Better not be we've visitors 😔

For the next few days, Thursday's looking the worst day for N. Wales, justasking111. Friday and Saturday aren't looking too bad ~ just a bit showery in the afternoon both days and Sunday is looking misty/damp. So not too bad and hopefully your visitors will see some ☀while they're with you!

It’s also when we start our walking - no respite from gales and rain then! Have to say N Wales has been marked by storms for us, even compared to S Wales. Oh well.

After a grey and drizzly start, today has turned rather glorious! (Kent/Sussex border)
I’ve swept the garden, weeded, de-mossed the patio and moved some pots around. The dog has had a play in the garden too. Amazing how a little sunlight can make you feel.

Our son is moving house they're taking down a huge play frame from Costco to put in the new place. Visitors have offered to help and transport it 🙈

It's sort of a case of 'all seasons in one or two days' at the moment for some places. At least there's more of a chance of some 🌞And this Sunday is the start of meteorological Spring (probably time for another thread!) and the clocks go forward at the end of the month, so hopefully the last few days are an indication of better weather to come....

Yesterday was lovely here and today looks the same ~ I'm tempted to uncover the patio furniture but it might be a bit early in the year for that!

Ha @GloriaSmud I was tempted to get all my garden cushions out yesterday. But then decided against it..!

Patiently waiting for the sun to break through here this morning. The wind has dropped and it feels very spring like.

Yesterday afternoon was lovely - took the dog for a sunset walk at 5.30 - it’s the little things. Feel like we’ve made it through the worst now there’s more light and lots of signs of spring round the corner.

Well it’s an improvement of sorts here - not quite as cold , not quite as wet / grey and gloomy and still

Looking like we might be in for a good day here. Our garden faces west so I’m looking down onto the town which is bathed in sunlight, just a little bit of mist on the hills burning off rapidly, it’s beautiful.

Once the sun hits the bottom of the garden I’ll be going out to sort out the greenhouse and then following the sun up the garden. It will be on the deck by afternoon and I’m hoping for my first outdoor cuppa on the bench.

'Tis lovely out at the moment (I've just seen my first butterfly of the year) but it's all back to normal later this week...

Thoughts from the metoffice on our rather wet winter...

Next week looks a bit more settled ~ which will be nice as our garden needs to dry out ~ it finally seems to have reached 'peak saturation point' when it comes to water and anything that falls on it is not draining away now.

We had a day and a half of sun Thurs/Fri…while I was stuck in meeting rooms all day Thursday but we had a team coffee break across the street in sunshine yesterday morning (before the rain started at lunchtime). Today is windy (my clothes horse blew over twice and that’s usually very stable) but only a few small sprinkles of rain. Weirdly, the wind on the balcony is the exact opposite direction of the clouds racing across the sky…

I have finally got all the ski gear washed and the last 2 loads are on the line 🤞for a dry afternoon.