The weekend will begin with plenty of dry and bright weather across the UK, although showers will continue in the northwest.
A more active weather system will arrive on Sunday, bringing heavy rain to western areas before moving eastwards across the country.
There will be marked regional contrasts in both weather and temperature, with southeastern England holding on to warmer conditions while the north and west experience a fresher and increasingly unsettled spell.
A slow improvement in the east on Saturday
A weather front moving across the UK on Friday may be slower to clear than initially expected. As a result, cloud and outbreaks of rain could linger across eastern England into Saturday morning, with some moderate or locally heavy rain possible. Any remaining rain should gradually move away, although it may take some time for skies to brighten in eastern districts.
A few patches of mist and fog may also develop early on Saturday, but these are not expected to be as extensive as those seen on Friday morning. Once the mist, fog and eastern rain clear, much of England and Wales should have a largely dry day with variable cloud and sunny spells.
Conditions will be more changeable farther northwest. Showers will affect Northern Ireland and western Scotland, with some also reaching other parts of Scotland, northern England and western Wales. The showers will be most frequent in the northwest, where a few could turn heavy. An isolated thundery burst cannot be ruled out, although widespread thunder is not expected.
Global climate in 2025: How did the UK compare? 🌍
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Record ocean heat, declining sea ice, droughts, extreme rainfall and the UK’s warmest year on record. pic.twitter.com/ZhtlPPByxT
Fresher air will spread across the country behind Friday’s weather front. Temperatures in southeastern England will be markedly lower than on Friday, although they could still reach the low 20s. Farther north and west, temperatures will generally be in the mid to high teens. Blustery winds will make it feel cooler at times, particularly in exposed northwestern areas.
Showers and gusty winds will continue in the northwest through Saturday afternoon and evening. However, many parts of England and Wales should end the day dry, with clearer intervals continuing overnight. A few mist and fog patches may reform by Sunday morning.
Heavy rain arriving from the west on Sunday
The main feature of the weekend will be an increasingly active weather front approaching from the Atlantic on Sunday. This system is expected to interact with an area of wetter weather moving northwards, bringing a spell of potentially heavy rain across western parts of the UK.
Rain is expected to reach Northern Ireland during the early hours and start of Sunday before extending into western Scotland and the western fringes of England and Wales. Through the morning and afternoon, the rain will move east or northeast across much of Scotland and into northern and western parts of England and Wales.
There is the potential for 15 to 30mm of rain to fall fairly widely along the rain band, with a substantial amount possibly falling within a short period. Where repeated pulses of heavy rain occur, some locations could receive more than 60mm. The precise position and intensity of the heaviest rainfall remain uncertain, but conditions could become difficult where the most persistent rain develops.
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Brighter weather will follow across Northern Ireland and western Scotland, although scattered showers will remain. Ahead of the rain, eastern and southeastern England should have a largely fine day with some warm sunshine. Temperatures could reach the mid-20s in the southeast, while areas behind the front in the northwest will be much fresher, with values mainly in the mid to high teens.
The rain will continue to move eastwards later on Sunday, eventually reaching areas that began the day dry. Some heavy outbreaks remain possible, giving eastern England a wet end to the weekend. Meanwhile, northern and western areas should become drier, apart from a few showers.
Looking briefly into early next week, Monday currently appears quieter for many. There is greater uncertainty from Tuesday, when low pressure over the Atlantic could bring wet and windy conditions, especially to western areas. The details remain subject to change, so forecasts should be monitored as confidence increases.
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