Friday will be widely very warm, with sunny spells for most areas, particularly across eastern parts where sunshine is likely to be prolonged. Any early low cloud should lift and clear quickly, allowing temperatures to rise through the morning. Farther west, conditions will be more unsettled, with a band of cloud and outbreaks of rain or showers moving north and east through the day.

During the afternoon and evening, some of these showers could become heavy, with a risk of thunderstorms affecting parts of England and possibly Wales. Despite this, many areas will feel warm or very warm away from the heaviest downpours.

Friday night will remain mild, with rain and showers gradually clearing east or north-east to leave clearer intervals. Cloud will increase again from the west later in the night, with some coasts and hills turning rather murky and a chance of patchy fog inland. Further outbreaks of rain may develop in western areas by the end of the night.

Outlook for Saturday

Saturday will continue the theme of changeable weather. Early showery or thundery rain will clear towards the North Sea, but further showers will develop through the morning across Scotland and Northern Ireland. These could become locally heavy or thundery during the afternoon and evening, particularly in Northern Ireland.

Meanwhile, further outbreaks of rain are expected to reach southern England during the morning, spreading northwards into much of England and Wales later in the day, and possibly southern Scotland by evening. Some of this rain may also be heavy, with a low risk of thunderstorms in south-east England.

Temperatures will be closer to average in the north but rather warm in the south and east, especially where showers are slow to arrive. Here, it is also likely to feel quite humid at times. Winds will generally be light to moderate throughout the day.

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Met Office presenter and meteorologist, Alex Deakin, said: “Changes are definitely on the way, but for many of us today will be another sunny day and probably the warmest of the week. We’ve already seen cloud spilling into western areas, making it a different day here, with some heavy showers across Northern Ireland, moving up the western side of Scotland and a scattering of showers for Wales too. These are likely to become heavier as the afternoon goes on, with the odd shower also possible in parts of southern England.

“However, much of the south east, the Midlands, East Anglia, north east England and eastern Scotland will stay dry with plenty of sunshine, though there is an increasing chance of heavier showers reaching parts of the Midlands later. Winds have been fairly brisk across the south this week, but a change in direction is bringing a warmer feel, especially across central and eastern areas. This looks to be the warmest day of the week, with temperatures of 25 or 26°C from London to Cambridge. It will be less warm further west where there is more cloud, but along the east coast it will feel noticeably warmer than yesterday.

“Through the evening, it will stay quite humid with some heavier showers drifting north, before most places become dry overnight. It will be mild, possibly a little misty in places, and that sets the scene for a rather messy, mixed weekend ahead.”



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