The UK will experience a shift in the weather next week, including strong winds that will ease its dependence on expensive natural gas to produce electricity.
Starting on Monday, rainy, colder and most importantly, windy, weather will sweep across the country, according to the UK’s national weather service.
“A shift in the position of the jet stream brings a change in our weather next week, allowing a cold front associated with a low-pressure system in the North Atlantic to spread eastwards, bringing wet and windy conditions across the whole country,” said Adam Thornhill, a meteorologist at the Met Office.
Wind speeds have been unusually low this year, leaving Britain’s turbines mostly sitting still. Some regions had the lowest average pace in 20 years this summer, according to the Met Office. That followed below average gusts in the spring and winter as well.
The calm weather couldn’t have come at a worse time. Global gas prices have surged this year amid limited supply and rising demand as the world economy recovers from restrictions to limit the spread of Covid-19. In the UK, gas has filled the generation gap left by the wind, driving up power prices to record-highs.
The upcoming rise in wind speeds follows an increase in gusty weather in recent days that sent its power generation to its highest level since May on Thursday.
And while the weather system next week will lower temperatures, the shift won’t last. The UK is set to be warmer than average heading into October, the Met Office said.
A hotter than normal fall and winter, combined with above average or even average wind speeds, could help shield British consumers from surging costs to burn fossil fuels.
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