UK weather

Headline:

Cloudy, with patchy rain in the west today.

Today:

Cloudy for many, with outbreaks of rain, mainly in the west, and some heavier bursts across the far north of Scotland. Sunny spells will develop from the west, while showers affect Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England. Feeling slightly cooler.

Tonight:

Some sunny spells will linger across the far south this evening, but cloud will thicken from the west, with outbreaks of drizzle developing across much of England and Wales.

Wednesday:

Rain will soon clear the far southeast, with sunny spells developing widely. Heavy, frequent showers across Scotland will spread more widely through the day, with some potentially turning thundery.

Outlook for Thursday to Saturday:

A northerly wind develops for the next few days, allowing temperatures to drop below average. Thunder showers for Thursday and Friday, but brighter and drier for Saturday.

This period is likely to start largely dry and settled across the UK, as a ridge of high pressure sets in. A few showers are likely in the far north and possibly the far southeast though. Conditions look like turning increasingly unsettled through next week, as low pressure gradually becomes dominant, squeezing the ridge off to the northeast and southwest. Most places are likely to see some rain or showers, which may be heavy with a risk of thunder at times. It may become breezy if not windy at times too. Temperatures are likely to be near or a little below normal overall, with some chilly nights at first, but brief warm, humid spells are possible at times, especially in the south.

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 higher pressure becoming centred close to the south of the UK and lower pressure towards the north and northwest. The north and northwest will probably see the lion's share of the rain and any strong winds, whilst the south and southeast will probably see the driest and sunniest weather. Temperatures are likely to be above average overall. There is a chance that late season hot spells or heatwaves develop, especially in the south.