UK weather

Headline:

Thundery end to the heatwave.

Today:

Hot and sunny in the southeast. Increasingly humid for Wales and western/northern England with variable cloud and possible afternoon thunderstorms. Fresher, albeit rather cloudy, conditions for Northern Ireland and Scotland after early heavy and thundery rain clears the east.

Tonight:

Thunderstorms pushing eastwards overnight, with heavy downpours particularly possible over eastern England. Warm and muggy in the southeast, but fresher than recent nights elsewhere. A few showers for northern Scotland.

Saturday:

Still very warm and humid for southeast England as heavy showers and thunderstorms clear. Widely fine elsewhere with sunny spells and nearer average temperatures, though showers continuing for northern Scotland.

Outlook for Sunday to Tuesday:

Fresher conditions reach the southeast by Sunday and generally staying dry into next week with sunny spells. Turning breezier in the northwest as various rain bands push in, perhaps heavy.

A rather more changeable spell of weather through the mid to latter part of August, with Atlantic frontal systems bringing some rain or showers at times to the UK. The heavier and more reliable rainfall is more likely to be in parts of the west and northwest, but it is possible that some southern and eastern areas will see rain at times too. Later in the period high pressure may have more of an influence with drier conditions returning for many areas. Temperatures are likely to remain above average overall, with the possibility of further hot weather developing.

High pressure will probably be dominant in the vicinity of the UK during this period, meaning periods of dry weather for many regions. However, some more unsettled or changeable interludes are probable at times, bringing showers or some longer spells of rain, although overall rainfall amounts are more likely to be below average than above. Temperatures will likely be above average and some spells of hot weather and heatwaves are possible, especially in the south.