Braving the cold this week?

You certainly will predicts The Daily Sail's meteorologist Libby Greenhalgh

Friday update...

Forecast conditions look set to hold with the current northerly wind of around 10 knots persisting into tomorrow.

Midday will see a small trough push across the UK providing a good chance of sleet or snow and a decrease in the wind strength. The wind speed will vary between 10-14 knots in the morning and early afternoon. The direction will remain fairly consistent, from the north, across the day but the wind strength will decrease throughout the afternoon falling below 10 knots by 2pm.

The high pressure centre will push across from the west to over central England in the afternoon and early evening causing the conditions to become calm. The wind strength will ease to around 6-10 knots by three or four o’clock. The skies will be overcast as with a chance of blue skies in the afternoon as high pressure centre pushes across, the break in the cloud will signify the approaching high pressure system and a decrease in the wind.

Forecast (from Thursday)

If you are still recovering from your New Year hangover and are wondering what the weather will be doing this Saturday, should you be taking part in your first race of the year at Queen Mary for example, then here’s the forecast.

Starting at midday the key often to this huge dinghy pursuit race is the weather and hence what boat you will race accordingly.

The forecast looks set for the wind to be light and from the north. The general situation will see a weak low pressure system over central Europe dominate the weekend producing a northerly wind and very cold temperatures with a strong chance of snow or sleet.

The day will start with wind strength of around 10-15 knots from a slightly east of north direction that will decrease across the day and back to the north. The key will be the approach of the low pressure system in the north Atlantic that is set to bring stronger winds of 20 knots or more from the south east. This system should reach the UK on Saturday night but may come early.Otherwise, the wind will remain from the north and will decrease across Saturday afternoon from a 15 knot maximum to around 6 knots in the mid to late afternoon around 3-5pm. The direction will back slowly to the north by early afternoon.

Queen Mary will always provide the shifty conditions of inland waters for some more top tips check out Jim Saltonstall’s venue guide for Queen Mary and the latest forecast here on Friday evening to check the progress of that low pressure system.

Follow these links to see the Bracknell forecasts for Saturday and Sunday