Kirkwall (Orkney Islands) weather

Headline:

Autumn temperatures. Mainly dry, occasionally bright today.

Today:

The afternoon highs will be below the seasonal early autumn averages. Occasional bright spells and mainly dry with only a few light isolated showers appearing. Winds west to southwest, occasionally fresh across Orkney. Maximum temperature 13 °C.

Tonight:

Scattered showers for the evening, merging to longer and heavier periods of rain overnight. Winds increasing across Orkney to strong, perhaps gale force, towards dawn. Minimum temperature 6 °C.

Tuesday:

A very wet and windy start with periods of heavy rain and northwest winds strong, perhaps gale force across Orkney during the morning. Rain clearing to showers for the afternoon. Maximum temperature 13 °C.

Outlook for Wednesday to Friday:

Frequent and heavy showers through Wednesday and Thursday, brought on strong west to northwest winds. Mainly dry and bright Friday with easing winds.

Many areas will be dry at first under a ridge of high pressure, although an increasing chance of cloud, rain and strengthening winds in at least northwestern areas by and during the weekend, with the best of any lengthy drier and brighter spells in southern and eastern parts. After a cool start to the period, temperatures will recover during the weekend as a westerly flow becomes established. While confidence is low, by the middle of next week there are signs that high pressure may become increasingly influential on the weather across the UK, and potentially becoming rather warm in places. That said, some rain or showers are still possible, more especially in the south and/or far northwest.

The focus for wetter weather overall is more likely to return to north and especially northwestern areas, whilst southern and eastern areas have a greater chance of being drier relative to earlier in the month. Temperatures are likely to be around average overall, though with greater potential for brief spells of warm weather in the south.