Met Office week ahead forecast: Unsettled conditions and cooler temperatures

Author: Press Office

As we move into the final week of August, a developing area of low pressure situated to the south of Iceland will introduce a series of weather fronts across the UK.

A band of rain will move eastwards through Tuesday, though it is expected to fragment, resulting in limited rainfall for the southeast. Here, conditions will remain largely dry with plenty of sunny spells.

Further west, the focus shifts to showers, especially across Northern Ireland, Scotland, and the southwest of England. Coastal areas along the south may also experience large waves, so caution is advised for those enjoying summer holidays near the shoreline.

Temperatures will begin to dip slightly in western areas, returning to seasonal averages. However, the southeast will continue to feel warm under the sunshine, with highs reaching up to 26°C.

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Wednesday: gusty winds and heavy rain

Low pressure remains dominant midweek, with a second system pushing in from the west. This will tighten the isobars, resulting in gustier winds. Wednesday morning will start damp across Northern Ireland, with a band of heavy rain spreading into Scotland, Wales, the southwest, and northern England. This rain may be accompanied by thunder, lightning, and hail.

The southeast will remain mostly dry, though cloud cover will increase later in the day. Temperatures will fall slightly, particularly across southern and northeastern England, where values will return to average, ranging between 20 and 23°C.

Thursday: unsettled in the north and southeast

As the system clears eastward overnight, Thursday will begin unsettled across the far southeast. Brighter spells will develop behind the rain, but showers will persist across Northern Ireland and Scotland. These may merge into longer spells of rain, making for a wet and cooler day in these regions, with highs of just 17 to 18°C.

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Further south, England and Wales will see a mix of sunny spells and scattered showers. Some of these showers could be heavy, but the far southeast is likely to retain the driest conditions.

Friday: further rain and scattered showers

Another weather system will arrive on Friday, this time focused further south. A continued squeeze in the isobars will bring gusty winds once again. Rainfall is expected to impact the southeast, with scattered heavy showers and the potential for thunder.

Conditions will turn drier across Wales and the southwest of England later in the day, with sunnier spells developing. Scotland and Northern Ireland will continue to see scattered showers and cooler temperatures, with highs around 17°C. Elsewhere, temperatures will be close to average, ranging between 21 and 22°C.

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A mixed end to meteorological summer

The week ahead presents a varied weather picture, with low pressure systems bringing spells of rain, gusty winds, and cooler temperatures. While the southeast will enjoy some dry and warm conditions early in the week, unsettled weather will spread across much of the UK by midweek. Northern and western areas will bear the brunt of the showers and cooler air, while southern regions may see brief respite with brighter spells.

As we approach the end of meteorological summer, it looks like we'll see some much need rain over the coming week. After that, it'll be all eyes on the start of September and the beginning of Autumn. 

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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