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: 0906, Thursday, May 8, 2008

24 hours: FINE
Days 2-5: LITTLE CHANGE
Days 6-10: MOSTLY DRY, LIGHT WINDS

Another dry, sunny day. In the west, sheltered from the light SE’ly wind, it will be quite warm. Friday a similar day though sunshine is likely to turn hazy as high cloud thickens from the west.

The weekend probably mainly cloudy and misty at times, with outbreaks of showery rain probably spreading from the west on Saturday and patchy drizzle on Sunday, as winds become a moderate SW’ly.

Next week possibly mainly dry and - with light E or NE’ly winds expected - a little cooler.

Forecast Confidence level for weather type - high/medium; For timing - medium.
Daytime temperatures rising to 14° or 15° Celsius inland and 16° or 17° Celsius for the West Mainland of both Orkney and Shetland. On windward coasts temperatures will probably be around 11° to 13° Celsius. Overnight lows down 6° to 8° Celsius generally, possibly 5° or 6° Celsius for inland valleys.
THURSDAY:	After the clearance of any mist and patchy low cloud, another dry, sunny day. Towards evening and overnight mist may again form in inland valleys, with low cloud possibly affecting some eastern hills and headlands. F2-3 SE’ly winds. Sea state – Slight with a 1 metre SW’ly swell
FRIDAY:	Continuing dry. Sunny for much of the time, but this is likely to turn hazy towards sunset as high cloud thickens in the west. During the evening F2-3 SE’ly winds may well carry mist and low cloud off the North Sea on to eastern coasts, with mist also developing in inland valleys. Sea state – Slight with a 1 metre SW’ly swell
SATURDAY:	Perhaps mainly dry at first, but thicker cloud bringing the risk of showery rain spreading from the west by the afternoon. Misty with some coastal and hill fog. F2-3 S to SE’ly winds. Sea state – Slight with a 1 metre SW’ly swell

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

Temperatures 14° or 15° Celsius by day – a couple of degrees cooler on windward coasts - down to 6° to 8° Celsius overnight.

SUNDAY 11th: Cloudy with patchy drizzle accompanied by mist and hill fog. Becoming mostly dry and brighter for the afternoon and evening. Moderate S to SW’ly winds.

MONDAY 12th: Dry and sunny with light and variable winds.

TUESDAY 13th – SUNDAY 18th: The week possibly mainly dry and - with light NE’ly winds expected - turning a little cooler.

General Situation and Synopsis

An anticyclone over the North Sea will move little during the next 24-36 hours, but will relax eastwards during the weekend, allowing weak fronts to move off the Atlantic to affect northern Scotland.

High pressure is expected to build back over the British Isles late on Sunday, with an anticyclone drifting north-westwards across the Northern Isles on Monday.

During the course of next week, high pressure is forecast to transfer to a position between Scotland and Iceland, before later migrating east over the Norwegian Sea as Atlantic low pressure moves towards the British Isles.