UK weather

Headline:

Bright with sunny spells, feeling cooler. Rain later.

Today:

Sunny but chilly to start, with coastal showers fading. Cloud increases from the west and northwest, bringing strengthening winds and outbreaks of rain, locally heavy over higher ground. Rain continues to move eastwards through the afternoon. Cool for most.

Tonight:

Rain reaches the southeast through the evening. Staying cloudy with outbreaks of rain elsewhere, with heaviest in the north and on high ground. Wind increasing from the west. Mild.

Friday:

Cloud and rain clear in the north to leave sunny spells and showers, some heavy. Breezy with strong coastal winds. Temperatures near average, but warmer across southern and eastern areas.

Outlook for Saturday to Monday:

Sunny spells with blustery showers, most frequent in the north and west, easing Sunday. Rain spreads east Monday, windy at times, especially in the northwest. Temperatures near average, briefly mild.

Remaining changeable through the middle of October, as a series of low pressure systems run across the North Atlantic, often to the north and northwest of the UK, bringing occasional bands of rain and strong winds, but interspersed with brighter and more showery conditions. Rain will be most prevalent across hills in the west and especially northwest, where above average rainfall is likely through this period. Longer drier interludes are more favoured in sheltered southern and eastern parts, but even here it is likely to be wetter than during recent weeks. Whilst brief cooler interludes are possible, temperatures are likely to be a little above average in many areas for the period as a whole, potentially quite warm in parts of the southeast early in the period.

The remainder of October and into early November will probably maintain a changeable pattern overall, with areas of low pressure often passing close to the UK from the North Atlantic, interspersed by occasional ridges of high pressure. As such, showers or longer spells of rain are likely at times, with the wettest and windiest weather typically in the west and northwest, driest conditions more favoured in sheltered southern and eastern parts. A trend to more widely unsettled conditions is possible into November. Whilst some occasional colder interludes will be possible at times, temperatures are likely to be near or a little above average for the period as a whole.