Britain is set for a “mixed bag” of sunshine and showers over the bank holiday weekend.
It will not exactly be barbecue weather over the long weekend, where temperatures could reach 18C, but Met Office meteorologist Craig Snell said: “I am hopeful that people will be able to make the most of the bank holiday.”
He said: “It will be a bit of mixed bag with the best of the weather in England and Wales on Saturday.
“There will be cloud and at some point in the next 24-48 hours all of us will see some rain which will be welcome for some because April has been very dry for the southern third of the UK.”
This month has been the latest in the string of dry Aprils, with rainfall about 35% lower than average, according to the Met Office.
It will be “a pretty grey, damp day” for England and Wales on Sunday with the majority of rain in the west with light and patchy rain touching eastern areas.
Wales and south west England may have rain that is “a little more persistent”.
Bright spells will follow a damp start in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Mr Snell said that “the worst weather on Sunday will be across England and Wales whereas today the worst weather is across Scotland and Northern Ireland”.
Sunday’s temperatures in England and Wales will be about 14-15C so “probably not the best feeling of starts to May” but highs could reach 15-16C in Scotland.
For anyone who wants to get out and about over the weekend, there will be a fair bit of cloud on bank holiday Monday. But Mr Snell said he was “fairly optimistic we can see the sun punch some wholes through that cloud”, although there may also be showers.
Monday “will not be a scorcher but it will not be a wash-out” where temperatures will be up to about 17-18C in the south or 15-16 in places such as Belfast and Glasgow.
