Met Office daily weather: Change as we head into the new week

Low pressure brings fresher air, strong winds, and heavy, thundery rain as the UK says goodbye to the heatwave and hello to cooler, unsettled weather.

Monday will see a marked change in conditions across the UK, with cloud and areas of rain moving east-north-eastwards through the day. Rainfall may be heavy at times, particularly across Northern Ireland, Scotland, and northern England, where there is a risk of thunderstorms. Notably, northeast England and southeast Scotland may experience some intense downpours during the afternoon.

Following the rain, conditions will turn cooler, fresher, and windier, with sunny spells developing in many areas. However, showers will persist across Northern Ireland and the far west of Wales and southwest England. 

Monday night will be cooler than recent nights, with widespread minimum temperatures between 10-14°C, close to the seasonal average. Northern Scotland will remain cloudy with outbreaks of rain, while elsewhere, clearer spells will develop before cloudier, windier conditions with showers and longer spells of rain move into western areas later.

Outlook for Tuesday

Tuesday will be a notably cooler and fresher day for many, with early cloud and rain in northern Scotland becoming confined to Shetland. Elsewhere, cloud and showers or longer spells of rain will spread eastwards, with some heavy downpours and isolated thunderstorms possible across southwest Scotland and northwest England. Sunny spells and showers will follow into western areas, with a continued risk of isolated thunderstorms in Northern Ireland. Southern regions will experience unseasonably windy conditions.

Maximum temperatures on Tuesday will be near or just below average, with the highest values expected in eastern and southeastern England and the far north of Scotland, where isolated peaks of 23°C are possible. Tuesday night will be slightly milder than the previous night, with temperatures near or just above average.

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Met Office presenter and meteorologist, Greg Dewhurst, said: “On Monday we say goodbye to high pressure and hello to low pressure as it moves in from the Atlantic, bringing some fresher conditions, stronger winds, and also some outbreaks of rain, which could be heavy at times, potentially thundery as well. So, it’s generally the end of the heat wave, but for some, still today, we hold on to the heat for a little longer.

“But through this morning, we have bands of showers pushing north and eastward. Some of the rain could turn heavy at times as we move through into the afternoon and into the evening time, particularly across northern England into southern Scotland, associated with this weather front. Still plenty of sunny spells across many areas, though some heavy showers bubbling up through the afternoon. Breezy around some western coasts and the fresher air starting to make an appearance here.

“So, temperatures high teens to low 20s. But across central and eastern parts of England, and particular towards East Anglia and down into southeast England, temperatures here still high 20s, locally around 30°C. So, still on the warm side. However, that heat will start to fade as we move through the evening and overnight as low pressure continues to move in from the Atlantic.

“Frequent showers across western areas, some longer spells of heavy downpours developing, some rumbles of thunder possible into the early hours, but there will be some clear spells in between, particularly across central and eastern parts of the UK ahead of that rain. And pretty breezy around the coast as well. And that fresher air being noticed by night as well. Temperatures lower than recent nights, 12 to 15°C.

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“So, it is a mixed start to Tuesday again as low pressure comes in from the Atlantic. Heavy rain pushing eastward, some longer spells of rain, heavy downpours, some rumbles of thunder in there too. Again, there’ll be some brighter spells at times around this area of low pressure. Perhaps northern Scotland seeing the best of the dry weather with some sunny spells here.

“But in between, there will be some brighter spells, but a lot of rain pushing its way eastwards. Needed rain in places. And a much fresher day for everyone. Temperatures the high teens to low 20s. So, feeling quite cool. Some temperatures a little below average in the north, nearer to average towards the southeast, 23°C, 24°C. But the rain around and the stronger winds, it will feel much cooler than it has done of late.”

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