Orkney Weather from The Orcadian Online

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Our daily weather forecasts make extensive use of the Beaufort wind scale when describing conditions. A summary of the Beaufort scale can be found here.

Weather Forecast by Dave Wheeler of Fair Isles Weather Services. Disclaimer

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Issued: 1033, Friday, July 25, 2008

24 hours: WARM, BRIGHT DAY. MIST AND FOG TONIGHT
Days 2-5: MILD SE'LY WINDS. SHOWERS POSSIBLE
Days 6-10: PATCHY LIGHT RAIN. RISK OF FOG

Brighter after a dull start, with some warm sunshine in the west. Fresh SE'ly winds making it cooler in the east, and here the risk of fog patches. Cloudy and misty again tonight.

On Saturday some bright or sunny intervals developing after a rather cloudy start, but still the chance of some sea fog patches drifting in off the North Sea. A few showers are likely, especially across Shetland. SE'ly winds easing.

Sunday and the start of next week staying rather warm and humid with some sunshine, but also the chance of a few showers, more especially across Orkney. As SE'ly winds continue, low cloud and sea fog will remain a risk.

Mild S to SE'ly winds persisting during much of the remainder of the outlook period, maintaining the risk of mist and low cloud affecting eastern districts. Further outbreaks of mainly light, showery rain may spread in from the west on occasions.

Forecast Confidence level for weather type - medium; For timing - medium/low.
Continuing quite warm, with temperatures in the daily range 16° to 18° Celsius down to around 13° Celsius overnight. While favoured places in the west may even see a high of 19° Celsius today, coasts - particularly in the east with an onshore wind - will see highs of just 14° or 15° Celsius. Temperatures in the daily range 17° down to 13° Celsius during Saturday and Sunday.
FRIDAY:	After the clearance of low cloud and localised mist patches during the morning, the afternoon and early evening will be warm and sunny, particularly in the west. Eastern coasts - with an onshore F5 SE'ly wind - will be cooler, and there may even be a few mist or fog patches at times. During the evening low cloud and mist will become more extensive along eastern coasts, before gradually spreading west across the Isles. Overnight, cloud could well be thick enough to result in some patchy, light drizzle. Sea state - Slight with a 1 metre NW'ly swell.
SATURDAY:	Rather cloudy with F5 SE'ly winds - easing F4 - still likely to carry mist and low cloud on to eastern coasts and hills. Orkney mostly dry for much of the day, but outbreaks of mainly light rain - reaching Shetland from the east during the afternoon - extending across Fair Isle into Orkney during the evening. Sea state - Slight with a 1 metre SE'ly swell.
SUNDAY:	Cloudy conditions with patchy light rain persisting across Orkney for much of the day. Still the risk of mist and low cloud in the east as F4 SE'ly winds continue. Sea state - Slight with a 1 metre SE'ly swell.

Extended Outlook
Confidence level for weather type - low/medium;
For timing - low

Temperatures a little above average at first, around 16° to 18° Celsius by day down to about 12° Celsius overnight. Windward coasts several degrees cooler by day. Later in the period, temperatures falling a degree or so to near-average.

MONDAY 28th: Cloudy with outbreaks of mainly light rain, this more especially across Orkney. Moderate SE'ly winds.

TUESDAY 29th: Still rather warm and humid with some sunshine at times, especially in the west. Always the chance of low cloud and sea fog patches on eastern coasts. A few showers are likely, especially across Orkney.

WEDNESDAY 30th - MONDAY 4th: Some sunnier periods - although generally cloudy - with the chance of outbreaks of mainly light, showery rain spreading in from the west on occasions. Mild at first with the risk of mist and low cloud, but possibly clearer and less humid later as SE'ly winds tend more S to SW'ly in direction.

General Situation and Synopsis

With an anticyclone persisting over Scandinavia, a mild and humid SE'ly airflow covers Orkney and the remainder of northeast Scotland. This will freshen a little today, as pressure falls across southwest Britain.

A weak front - moving west - is likely to affect Orkney on Sunday. At the same time, the fresh SE'ly airflow across the Northern Isles is forecast to ease, as a thundery low over southern Britain slips south.

Though an area of low pressure is predicted to be moving down from Iceland next week, high pressure persisting over Scandinavia may prevent associated fronts from reaching the Northern Isles until late in the outlook period.