If you are planning a street party, or just to get away from it all on the long bank holiday weekend ahead you might need to pack a raincoat and some sunglasses. The Met Office weather forecast across the UK looks unsettled, with showers or longer spells of rain for many.
Some heavy, thundery downpours for parts of the UK are expected on Friday and Sunday, the Met Office says. There were highs of 19°C in eastern parts of Wales on Wednesday but the weather has already turned. The Met Office says that Thursday will be a more unsettled day.
An area of low pressure is expected to bring some wet and windy weather which will move north eastwards across the UK. Most areas will be cloudy through the day, and it is most likely to stay dry through the day in the north and east of the UK. Temperatures will be capped at 16°C for many under the cloud, though in any sunny spells in the south it could reach 20°C.
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The forecast for Wales on Thursday (May 4) says: "Although generally cloudy, skies will be bright during the morning with some hazy sunshine. Cloud thickening during the afternoon, with scattered showers spreading northwards, possibly heavy in places. Remaining breezy. Maximum temperature 19 °C."
Friday will be a day of sunshine and showers across the UK, which could be heavy and slow moving at times with some thunder, lightning and hail. The showers will affect most parts of the UK, including London, with some more persistent rain affecting parts of eastern Scotland. Highs of 19°C are once again possible in the south of England.
The forecast for Wales says: "Sunny spells and scattered showers developing through the morning, these heaviest in the east with possible thunderstorms by the afternoon. Many coastal regions turning drier and sunnier. A little cooler. Maximum temperature 17 °C."
The Met Office says that currently Saturday is forecast to be "another wet day", though with generally less intense rainfall compared to Friday.
Met Office deputy chief forecaster, Steven Keates, said: “On Saturday we will see some heavy rain moving into the southwest in the early hours which will move north eastwards through the morning. This is likely to bring some rain to London by around lunchtime as it spreads east and north across roughly the southern third of the UK.
"Further north in Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland it will be a day of sunshine and showers before the more persistent rain moves northwards overnight. It will feel humid, especially in the south, with highs of 18°C possible in London.”
The weekend forecast for Wales says: "Increasingly wet on Saturday with rain arriving from the south. Brighter on Sunday, but a few light showers are possible. Further rain arriving on Monday. Fairly warm in any brightness."
With celebrations continuing through the Bank Holiday, the Met Office says Sunday will see areas of rain breaking up into heavy, possibly thundery showers for many parts of central, eastern and southern England, with parts of northeast England and eastern Scotland looking fairly grey and wet. The driest and brightest weather looks set for western parts of the UK in Northern Ireland, Wales, western Scotland and southwest England.
Monday will see another band of rain move east across the UK, followed by sunshine and showers, although the Met Office says there are currently some uncertainties in the timing of this. They add: "Further ahead there are signals for higher pressure to become more dominant by later next week bringing a more settled spell."
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