UK bank holiday weather: "Mixed picture"

UK bank holiday weekend weather will be a “mixed picture” with warmer-than-average sunny patches breaking through the clouds, the Met Office has said.

Forecasters said Saturday and Sunday’s temperatures could reach 20C in the sunshine even in northern Scotland.

But there is a “mixed picture” overall and cloudy areas are expected to stay between 14C and 15C.

A Met Office spokesperson said: “In the places that stay dry, the sunny temperatures will be a little above average – generally on the warm side in the sunshine.

“There will be sunny spells across the country but variable amounts of clouds and the risk of some rain in places.”

The average high for this time of year is 17C.

North Wales up to Scotland is expected to be largely cloudy on Saturday with some outbreaks of rain.

The southern half of the UK will be drier and brighter with sunny spells but in the afternoon heavy showers could travel from London to the South East, the Met Office added.

Temperatures are predicted to drop overnight to a “quite chilly” 4C to 5C in places with clearer skies, and 8C or 9C under clouds in the north.

Sunday should bring similar weather, and a Met Office spokesperson said: “We’re looking at a mixed picture across the UK again: largely fairly cloudy skies across the northern half of the UK again, but I’m more hopeful as the day goes on the cloud will break a bit.

“So there will be some bright or sunny spells across the northern half of the UK but some scattered showers that could be heavy across Scotland, the odd rumble of thunder is possible.”

Sunny patches are expected to once again reach between 17C and 20C and cloud-covered patches up to 14C or 15C.

Monday’s forecast is less certain in the southern counties, the Met Office said, but it will likely rain in the morning.

Its spokesperson said: “Expect a wetter morning but I’m hopeful by the afternoon there will be some drier interludes that develop in there, but there could still be some heavy showers around.”

The rest of England and Wales should be largely dry with some sunny spells and a few scattered showers.

Heavy rain could moves across Scotland and northern England in the afternoon.

The week leading up to the bank holiday weekend saw the UK hit with thunderstorms and heavy rainfall, while also experiencing its hottest days of the year so far on Wednesday and Thursday.

On Wednesday night, the Met Office recorded 4,840 lightning strikes across France and southern Britain.

The following day was the warmest of the year so far for all four home nations, according to the Met Office.

A peak temperature of 23.4C was recorded in Santon Downham in Suffolk, while in Scotland, the mercury hit 22.1C in Kinlochewe and Achnagart in the north Highlands.

Published: 04/05/2024 by Radio NewsHub