UK weather

Headline:

Most places dry with sunny spells. Rain for northern Scotland.

Today:

A fresh start to the day, but many places dry with sunny spells. Cloudy skies for northern Scotland, with outbreaks of rain through the day. Breezy here, but light winds elsewhere and feeling warm in the sunshine come the afternoon.

Tonight:

A fine evening for most, though rain will continue across northern Scotland. Overnight, cloud and patchy rain may also spread into parts of Northern Ireland. Dry elsewhere, with clear skies.

Saturday:

Northern Ireland and much of Scotland will remain cloudy, with outbreaks of heavy rain through the day. Dry for England and Wales, with sunny spells. Warm here, with light winds.

Outlook for Sunday to Tuesday:

Areas of rain in the north on Sunday. Dry, hot and sunny in the south. Widely dry, warm and sunny on Monday and Tuesday, locally hot for England and Wales.

A mixed start is likely to this period, with some rain or showers in the north and quite breezy conditions while in the south it will be mostly dry, sunny and hot, even very hot in some places. Southern parts are likely to turn cooler and fresher next weekend though. Further into August, areas of low pressure may start to track further south and east. This means there is a greater chance of frontal systems or thundery interludes affecting southern and eastern areas in comparison to recent weeks, though rainfall amounts could be quite variable with some areas still seeing relatively little. Temperatures are likely to remain above average, especially in the south, where it may be very warm or hot at times.

The broad theme of high pressure remaining in place at least close to the UK seems most probable, with occasional more unsettled or changeable interludes, either resulting from Atlantic frontal systems or thundery plumes. This means that rainfall amounts overall are more likely to be below normal than above. Temperatures will probably be above average and some spells of hot weather and heatwaves are possible, especially in the south.