As the UK prepares for unseasonably cold weather, elsewhere around the globe we are seeing heatwaves, droughts, tropical storms and rainfall.
A very warm air mass across the Pacific Northwest of North America has built a ridge of high pressure which has pushed the jet stream across central Canada.
Jet stream winds for Friday night from North America to NW Europe
This is helping to build high pressure in the North Atlantic which is expected to remain slow moving this weekend and next week, allowing for a prolonged spell of northerly winds that will bring Arctic air south across the United Kingdom.
Surface Pressure Chart 22.04.2016
Meanwhile record April temperatures have been reached in Washington State, USA, and British Colombia, Canada, in recent days. Seattle recorded its warmest April temperature on Monday at 32 C (89 F). This was one of 3 consecutive days to see temperatures in excess of 27 C (80 F), the previous April record was 25 C (77 F), set back in 1962.
The record temperatures are one of the factors behind a very early start to the wildfire season in British Columbia which has destroyed homes and caused disruption on some highways in the north of the province.
Elsewhere, Tropical Cyclone Fantala is 250 miles NE of Madagascar and there is a risk of heavy rains which could cause flooding across the far north of Madagascar and some minor, sparsely populated islands as it tracks westwards this weekend.
Tropical Cyclone Fantala NE of Madagascar
There is also a tropical storm named Amos in the SW Pacific (between Fiji and Samoa). This is likely to strengthen further during the next few days, with a risk of the system attaining hurricane force winds by the weekend. As well as the strong winds, very heavy rainfall is expected with up to 500mm in a 24 hour period possible. The Samoan Islands look to be at risk of strong winds and flooding impacts from this weekend.
Back here in the UK, if you are looking for a forecast closer to home you can keep up to date with the latest information on our forecast pages, Facebook and Twitter sites and via our Weather App.
Official blog of the Met Office news team 
We can’t have the masses thinking the global warming project has gone off the rails just because we are having a cold spell. It’s good to see the propaganda being maintained.
The idea cold weather in the UK proves the “global warming project has gone off the rails” as much as the fact your fridge has food in it proves there’s no hunger in the world .
The earth was 2c warmer 600 years ago when we were’nt burning any fossil fuels which proves that it is beyond our control and that scientists saying that we are responsible for an increase in global temperatures are talking a load of bollocks, it’s a natural cycle of the earth and we can not control it. It’s just another way of creating more jobs for the boys and grabbing more taxes.