Brits are set for a warm and sunny first day of the long bank holiday with temperatures hitting 22C but the weekend could well be a washout with heavy rain and thunderstorms.
A high pressure system is over much of the UK today bringing long periods of sunshine and temperatures in the high teens or low 20Cs but the weather becomes more unsettled over the weekend.
There could be highs of 23C on Friday but then a low pressure south of the UK is set to bring heavy rain and thunderstorms for southern parts of England on Saturday and Sunday.
Met Office forecaster Alex Deakin said: “For most parts of the country the first part of the bank holidays this long weekend is set fair, plenty of dry and sunny weather after that it does get a little bit more complicated.”
He said that while there have been heavy showers up and down the country in recent days, they should give way for clear skies going into Thursday.
“It is going to be a pretty chilly one through some sheltered glens of Scotland, not far off freezing and for most places we are well down into single figures to start Thursday. But by and large it is going to be a sunny start for the beginning of the bank holidays," said Mr Deakin.
"There is going to be an exception to the rule and that is Northern Ireland where we will see an increasing amount of cloud and eventually some rain trickling in.
"And we could see a few showers graze the west coast of Scotland, one or two showers are possible across the rest of Scotland, northern England but they will be very hit and miss, nowhere near as many as recent days, and for most places it is fine and dry. Long sunny spells and feeling pretty warm as well with temperatures higher than in recent days. In the south into the 20Cs, 22C is possible."
The Met Office is then predicting a similarly warm day for Friday with highs of 23C in the south of the country.
But forecasters are less clear about the weather over the weekend and there are fears that it could be a washout.
BBC weather's Alina Jenkins said: "Into Saturday and this is where it starts to get a bit more complicated.
"You see these weather systems developing and pushing their way further forward, so we are most likely to see heavy showers and thunderstorms across southern counties of England through Saturday morning.
"They will be hit and miss but also slow moving given that the winds will be fairly light and so perhaps just nudging their way further northwards through the day. By and large for Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England here will have fine, dry conditions and temperatures in the high teens if not low 20Cs."
There is a similar outlook for Sunday and there is the danger that the heavy rain and thunderstorms could become more widespread across the south of the UK
UK forecast for the next 5 days
Many areas fine and dry today and tomorrow.
Today:
Most areas fine and dry with sunny spells and feeling warmer than yesterday. Scattered showers likely over parts of Scotland and northern England this afternoon though. Cloudier for Northern Ireland where some rain, heavy at times, mainly in the west.
Tonight:
Further outbreaks of showery rain for parts of Northern Ireland tonight, showery rain also developing for parts of north Wales, northern England and southern Scotland. Elsewhere, dry with clear spells.
Friday:
Dry with bright or sunny spells for many. Cloudier in the west with showers or rain at times. Warm for many, especially the south, but some North Sea coasts cool.
Outlook for Saturday to Monday:
Fine and dry with plenty of sunshine across much of the north. Cloudier with showers in the south, some heavy and thundery at times.
