UK weather

Headline:

Mostly dry tonight, although some rain towards the northwest.

This Evening and Tonight:

Outbreaks of rain continuing for parts of northern Scotland this evening, before more persistent rain arrives into Northern Ireland and western Scotland later. Otherwise, a mostly dry night although cloud tending to increase. A cooler night in the south.

Sunday:

Rather cloudy with showery light rain across Scotland and Northern Ireland. Dry elsewhere, with warm spells of hazy sunshine. Feeling pleasant for many, with light winds.

Outlook for Monday to Wednesday:

Rain moving across Scotland and Northern Ireland through Monday, perhaps reaching southern areas overnight. This clearing to sunny spells and scattered showers throughout Tuesday and Wednesday. Temperatures largely near average.

The first few days of this period are likely to be rather changeable, with many parts of the UK seeing showers or perhaps some longer spells of rain. Thereafter, high pressure becomes increasingly probable over the north and west, with low pressure to the south of the UK. This will lead to further spells of showers and longer spells of rain, but the north may see more in the way of drier conditions. Within this broad pattern, there is potential for Atlantic lows to spread across the UK at times, which would bring more widespread rain and perhaps strong winds. Temperatures are more likely to be above normal than below overall, though the possibility of widespread or exceptional heat is perhaps a little lower than in recent weeks.

As we move into the start of meteorological autumn, signals for the prevailing weather patterns affecting the UK are weak, thus something close to the climatological norm is most likely. This means a broad northwest-southeast split in conditions, with the high becoming centred further to the south than in the latter part of August and with more changeable conditions developing towards the north and northwest. Meanwhile, drier, more settled weather is slightly more likely towards the south and east. Temperatures are again likely to be near to or above average overall. There is a chance that late season hot spells or heatwaves develop, especially in the south.