Met Office weekend weather: Showers, wind, and occasional sunny spells

Author: Press Office

As we approach the first weekend of November, the weather is set to deliver a lively mix of showers, gusty winds, and occasional sunny spells.

Whether you’re planning to attend Halloween festivities or simply heading outdoors, it’s a weekend where keeping an eye on the radar will be essential.

Here’s the detailed forecast for Saturday and Sunday, based on the latest guidance from the Met Office.

Friday evening: the transition begins

Friday evening will start off reasonably mild, but a change is on the way. Air sourced originally from Greenland is moving over warmer seas, creating instability in the atmosphere. With low pressure in charge, expect frequent showers and several weather systems arriving from the west, bringing longer spells of rain and gusty winds.

If you’re heading out for Halloween events, you’ll need to dodge downpours, but there will be some clear spells in between. Not everywhere will see rain all the time, and decent gaps between showers are likely across Scotland and parts of central and eastern England during the evening. Later, a new system will push prolonged heavy rain into Wales and the southwest, accompanied by gusty winds.

Saturday: lively showers and sunny spells

Saturday 1 November begins with wet weather across Scotland and northern England. This rain will push north-eastwards through the morning, eventually becoming confined to Shetland and Orkney. For much of the UK, the rest of the day will feature a more traditional mix of sunny spells and showers. The showers will be most frequent across western and southern parts of the country, and some will be lively, with thunder, lightning, hail, and very gusty winds possible.

In between the downpours, there will be some sunny spells. Temperatures won’t feel quite as mild as Friday, but the south could still see highs of around 15°C, with 11 or 12°C further north. Thanks to gusty winds overnight, it should be a frost-free weekend, keeping conditions relatively mild for the time of year.

Saturday night: bonfire displays and more showers

If you’re heading out for bonfire displays on Saturday night, expect showery conditions to persist, especially across the south and west of the UK. However, there will be reasonable gaps between the showers, particularly for the Midlands, eastern England, and eastern Scotland. It’s not a complete washout, but heavy downpours are possible in places. Checking the radar before heading out remains the best advice.

Sunday: a brief respite before the next system

Overnight, one weather system will move through and clear the east by Sunday morning. This will be another lively system, bringing gusty winds, hail, thunder, and lightning. As the day progresses, conditions will calm down a little, though it will remain blustery, with particularly strong winds for the north and northwest of Scotland, where further downpours are likely.

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Elsewhere, Sunday will offer a few hours with fewer showers and a better chance of sunshine breaking through. Winds will be lighter, and it will feel a bit more pleasant, even if temperatures are technically a touch cooler than Saturday. This brief respite is only ahead of the next incoming system.

Sunday night into Monday: remnants of Hurricane Melissa

Persistent rain will push into the Republic of Ireland and reach Northern Ireland by late Sunday. This rain will sweep across the UK on Sunday night into Monday and is attached to a low-pressure system containing the remnants of Hurricane Melissa, which caused devastation in the Caribbean earlier in the week. By the time it reaches the UK, it will no longer be a hurricane, but rather a typical mid-latitude low, having weakened considerably after passing over the cooler waters of the North Atlantic.

Nevertheless, this system will bring winds from the southwest and a lot of moisture, resulting in wet weather for many parts of the UK on Monday and Tuesday. The wettest conditions will be across high ground in northwestern UK, northwest England, and western Scotland.

Throughout the weekend, the weather will be changeable, with frequent showers, gusty winds, and occasional sunny spells. Temperatures will be mild for the time of year, and frost is unlikely thanks to the wind. If you’re planning outdoor activities, especially bonfire displays or Halloween events, keep a close eye on the radar and be prepared for sudden downpours.

Keep up to date with weather warnings, and you can find the latest forecast on our website, on YouTube, by following us on X and Facebook, as well as on our mobile app which is available for iPhone from the App store and for Android from the Google Play store.

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