A change is on the way for the weather in the UK, with rain and lower temperatures showing on Met Office weather maps and forecast.
While Friday is set to be hot and dry, with temperatures in south-east Wales hitting 26°C or 27°C, it may start to cool down in the coming days with temperatures still warm and above average but not as high as they have been in the last week.
The Met Office said for the vast majority of the UK Friday will see more dry and sunny conditions with temperatures widely into the mid-20°Cs, possibly peaking around 28°C . From Friday afternoon the hint of an upcoming change in weather type is likely to affect western parts of Northern Ireland at first with thundery showers likely and a possibility of some heavy bursts of rain seeing around 25mm of rain possibly falling within an hour in some spots.
They say: "Whilst there is a chance of this risk extending into parts of Wales and perhaps the southwest of England on Friday afternoon the majority of these places will remain dry, though cloudier than recently. The risk of more showers and perhaps some thunder does increase in these areas overnight and into Saturday however. There is then a trend to more showers and thunderstorms through the weekend."
The Met Office weather map for Saturday shows some rain over south-east Wales on Saturday morning, though this doesn't last and the rest of the day looks dry and warm. Temperatures are currently forecast to be lower though, in the 21-23°C range.
Moving into Sunday, the Met Office forecast for Sunday afternoon shows also shows the potential for outbreaks of rain across the country. The BBC weather forecast suggests potentially sustained periods of rain in parts of the country, including Cardiff and south-east Wales.
Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Steven Keates added: “Over the coming days we’ll be transitioning to a more unsettled regime for the UK though temperatures will remain high and it’ll feel very humid for many. Heavy showers and thunderstorms are likely to become more frequent through the weekend with the potential for associated hail, lightning, and some gusty winds. While the focus of thundery showers on Friday afternoon will be Northern Ireland that risk spreads more widely across western and southern areas of the UK on Saturday before pushing further north on Sunday. As in many of these situations these showers can be hit or miss with some places avoiding them whilst other areas nearby may see some very wet conditions. There’s an ongoing likelihood of warnings being issued in the coming days so keep an eye on the weather forecast for the latest outlook.”
Though details are still being determined on the positioning of the heaviest thundery downpours in excess of 40mm could fall in some places in a relatively short period of time on Saturday and Sunday. The most likely exception to the unsettled shift in the weather is northeast parts of Scotland, which will hold on to the dry weather the longest.
Despite the shift to more thundery conditions a plume of warm air is still influencing the UK weather, with temperatures through the weekend likely to remain in the mid-to-high 20°C range for some.
Five-day forecast for Wales
Friday:
Early mist or low cloud clearing quickly leaving another warm and sunny day. Some fair weather cloud bubbling up during the afternoon which will bring a hazier sky and perhaps some heavy showers but largely remaining dry for most. Maximum temperature 25°C.
Friday night:
Some hazy sunshine into the evening with a continued risk of showers overnight, some of which may be heavy. Feeling warm once again. Minimum temperature 15°C.
Saturday:
Another warm day with some sunny spells though a rather unsettled day. Staying showery with a risk of some heavy downpours and thunderstorms. Winds remaining light. Maximum temperature 25°C.
Outlook for Sunday to Tuesday:
Staying unsettled with a continued risk of heavy, thundery showers. Still rather warm with many seeing the return of warm, muggy nights which may feel uncomfortable for some.
READ NEXT:
- Boys wear skirts to school in protest at no shorts policies in heatwave
- Teenager murdered his own brother in front of their mum
- The impressive work being done to transform an ordinary road into Cardiff's new Canal Quarter
- Holidaymakers warned over alcohol ban on flights to popular destination
- Misconduct notice served on police officer after three missing people were found dead
