The week ahead brings a marked change in conditions, with colder air moving south across the UK during the middle of the week.
While frosts are not unusual in early May, the combination of northerly winds and clear nights means gardeners and growers should stay alert to the risk of sharp overnight temperatures. Later in the week, temperatures begin to recover, with a growing chance of more unsettled weather heading into the weekend.
Tuesday night into Wednesday: frost risk increases
As skies clear overnight, winds will ease and temperatures will fall quickly. This combination raises the risk of patchy fog and a widespread frost by Wednesday morning, particularly in rural areas. In more prone northern spots, temperatures may dip to –4 or –5°C, posing a risk to sensitive plants.
Wednesday will start bright for many, with sunshine during the morning. Through the day, cloud will tend to build, leading to a cloudier afternoon overall. Eastern areas are likely to stay largely dry, but elsewhere, particularly across western Scotland, Northern Ireland, west Wales and south‑west England, scattered showers are expected to develop.
Despite lighter winds, Wednesday is likely to be the coldest day of the week, with daytime temperatures several degrees below the early May average across many areas.
Thursday: unsettled northwest, gradual improvement elsewhere
Thursday sees attention turn to the far northwest of the UK, where a nearby area of low pressure brings tighter pressure gradients. This will result in a windier, cloudier day across north‑west Scotland, with outbreaks of rain or occasional showers.
Will high pressure return this week? Or is it staying mixed?
Here is the week ahead forecast ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/Ae6pu54C89— Met Office (@metoffice) May 3, 2026
Much of England and Wales, however, will have another largely dry day, though a few isolated showers remain possible, especially in western areas. Temperatures begin to recover slightly, with highs of 14 or 15°C in the south, closer to average for the time of year. Northern Scotland will remain cooler, with maxima of 9 or 10°C.
Overnight frost risk persists, particularly across eastern areas, where clearer spells are more likely.
Friday: slowly warming with scattered showers
Any overnight frost on Friday morning should melt quickly under strengthening May sunshine. England and Wales will see sunshine early, but cloud will increase again during the day, with scattered showers breaking out. These may be more widespread than earlier in the week, and longer spells of rain could affect parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
READ MORE: May Bank Holiday weather extremes
Southern areas will feel warmer, with highs of 16 to 18°C, while winds remain relatively light. Despite some showers later in the week, rainfall totals will continue to be low for many central and eastern areas, following an already dry April.
Watching the weekend closely
Looking ahead to the weekend, signs point towards a more notable change. A large area of low pressure to the southwest is expected to edge closer, strengthening easterly winds and increasing the chance of heavier showers or longer spells of rain, with a risk of thunderstorms in places. The driest conditions are more likely to be found further north at this stage.
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.
