Weather Fronts (From Worcester News)

Weather Fronts

8:43am Monday 1st June 2009 in

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Different air masses do not mix very well, so there is a boundary between them, these are called weather fronts. Air moving in the same direction at different speeds produce various weather types. The front slopes as warm air rides up over the colder or cooler air ahead of it, or as colder air undercuts and lifts warmer air. If the air behind the front is warmer than that ahead of it, it is a warm front. If the air behind the front is colder or cooler, it is a cold front.

Often disturbances occur creating a wave which develops into a low pressure swirl at the crest, and the system divides into separate warm and cold fronts. If the cold front then overtakes the warm front, lifting the warm air clear of the ground, the front is then "occluded".

Rainfall along the warm front covers a larger area, but along cold fronts a short but heavier spell of rain occurs, sometimes accompanied by squally winds, hail and thunder.

Next Week: Anticyclonic Weather.

Glossary: Front: The boundary between two masses of air of different temperatures and humidity. As they move, fronts are named by relative temperature of the air behind them. A front followed by warm air is a warm front, and one followed by cool air is a cold front.

Weather for coming week Monday 1st June-Friday 5th June.

Settled weather for much of coming 5 days, a weak cold front passing through on Wednesday bringing cooler fresher but still fair conditions. Monday and Tuesday sunny and hot temps 25-28c 77-82f.

Rest of week fair but cooler and fresher with temps 18-20c 64-68f.

Night values 6-10c 43-50f.

Last Week's Observations (Monday-Sunday)

Highest day temperature...........26c 79f on Sunday 31st May.

Lowest night temperature..........7c 45f on Friday 29th May.

Wettest day.............................3 mm on Monday 25th May.