The weather over the past few days has certainly been unpredictable, with spells of warm sunshine interspersed with sharp showers and gales.
Hurricane Gonzalo's aftermath brought the first real signs of autumn to the UK's shores, which had hitherto enjoyed some unseasonably calm and mild weather.
The storm's intensity peaked on October 16th with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph, although it remained strong enough to cause some significant damage in Britain.
It looks like the unsettled weather is set to continue for the rest of the week, according to the BBC weather forecast. Winds are set to ease slightly, with spells of rain for all and cooler conditions as temperatures return to the seasonal norm.
As is often the case in British weather, a north-south divide could be established next week, with high pressure building from the south-west.
This will lead to drier and brighter conditions in the south and breezier conditions with outbreaks of rain further north. Temperatures are set to revert to the seasonal norm – could be time to put the heating on, if you haven't already done so.
The split could well persist during the first half of November, with wet and windy weather most likely in the north of the country and drier and brighter weather further south.
Rain will not merely affect those in the north of the country – it will become more widespread and could affect the whole country from time to time.
Drier, sunnier spells will be more likely in southern areas, but this could lead to the risk of mist or fog forming overnight.
If you're thinking of planting spring bulbs in the south of the UK, it looks like you might be lucky and have plenty of opportunities for some late-autumn gardening jobs. In the north, though, it's probably worth keeping an anorak handy and trying to dodge the showers, as usual.
