WX temps back to a cooling trend - from week 1 where most of NW/C Europe is mild and freezing weather is tucked away in N Scandinavia and Russia to week 2 where Europe returns to norm and Scandinavia and Iceland drop back into the freezer - even a touch of the freeze in the Highlands. Pptn in week 1 on the N Atlantic, affecting Scotland, and also a small amount in Russia; in week 2 widespread across Europe with the axis of the heaviest from Scotland to Germany. Only Spain stays dry throughout.
GFS Op - HP steadily developing from the SW reaching 1040mb France for the weekend with mild SW-lies for Britain. This HP is absorbed by a new centre 1050mb mid-Atlantic with the wind moving to NW by Wed 20th. A piece of the LP near Iceland breaks off and arrives in the N Sea 955mb Fri 22nd with violent N-gales for Britain, the N-lies persisting up to Sun 24th though less strong as the LP moves to Scandinavia. The winds then go back to W on Christmas Day, eventually SW and milder under the influence of HP Spain 1030mb Sat 30th.
ECM similar though the LP Fri 22nd is less deep with only 'normal' gales and moves away more quickly with N-lies soon relaced by W-lies.
GEM places the LP Fri 22nd in S Sweden with NW-ly gales for Britain but as in ECM a quick return to W-lies.
GEFS - temps reaching peak mildness Mon 18th (10C above norm for the S) with very abrupt decline to below norm Wed 20th. Small rebound then a period of temps below norm through to Mon 25th; poor agreement on this cold period but very much underwritten by both op & control. Then very wide variation in ens members but probably a little milder. Rain starting around Wed 20th and becoming heavier and more persistent over the next 10 days esp in W. Chances of snow in the days after the 20th, 30-40% on low ground in N England/Scotland, almost guaranteed in the Highlands.
War does not determine who is right, only who is left - Bertrand Russell
Chichester 12m asl