Met Office daily weather: All change this week as wetter weather moves in

A marked change in conditions is expected across the UK today, with a cooler and more unsettled theme prevailing.

Early cloud and rain across northern Scotland will gradually become confined to Shetland, allowing for brighter spells to develop elsewhere in the north. However, much of the UK will see a band of cloud and rain moving eastwards through the day, with the heaviest and most persistent rain affecting Northern Ireland, Scotland, northern England, and Wales, particularly over higher ground.

Following the rain, sunny intervals will develop in parts of Northern Ireland, Wales, the Midlands, and southern Scotland, though these will be accompanied by scattered heavy showers. Some of these may turn thundery with isolated hail. Temperatures will be notably cooler and fresher than recent days, with highs generally near or just below average. The warmest spots will be in the far southeast of England and far north of Scotland, where isolated highs of 23°C are possible. It will also be unseasonably windy across England and Wales.

Showers and rain will gradually fade through the evening and overnight, although some lingering dampness is expected across southern Scotland, northern England, and the northern Midlands. Winds will ease, and clearer spells will develop for many. Later in the night, cloud and patchy rain or drizzle will edge into the far southwest. Overnight temperatures will be slightly higher than the previous night, remaining near or just above average.

Outlook for Wednesday

A much warmer and more settled day is expected for most areas. Early cloud across northern England and the Midlands will thin and break, leaving sunny spells. Isolated showers may develop over higher ground in northern England and Scotland. The southwest and Shetland will remain cloudier with outbreaks of rain or drizzle.

Temperatures will rise significantly, especially inland, with highs widely above average. The warmest conditions are expected across southeast Wales, the southern Midlands, and southern and southeastern England, where temperatures may reach 26°C. Further north, highs will generally be in the low 20s, with isolated 23°C in Northern Ireland and 24°C in Scotland.

A warmer night for many, particularly in the west, though eastern areas may feel cooler than the previous night. Cloud and rain may become more extensive in western areas.

Met Office presenter and meteorologist, Alex Deakin, said: “It's going to be a wet day for some. Welcome rain in places, but also unseasonably windy. The wet and windy weather's been moving in through the night across Northern Ireland up into southern and central Scotland, spreading across Northern England and into parts of Wales and the Midlands. Much of East Angley in the southeast won't see much rain. Generally staying dry along the south coast. But it will be quite breezy here.

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“Let's deal with the rainfall though first of all because if we look at it building up through the day across Northern Ireland and then spreading into Wales, Western England, and southwest Scotland. Now over the hills in these locations we could see 75 maybe even 80 mm of rain but even at lower levels 20 to 30 mm of rain is possible. As I mentioned at the start welcome rain for some because it has been uh quite a dry spring and summer to say the least.

“It's also been a pretty warm summer so far but today temperatures much closer to the average and feeling quite a bit cooler with that rainier zone over Northern England, North Wales, Northern Ireland and Southern Scotland. Having said all that, northern Scotland will brighten up after a bit of a damp start. And here across the western highlands, we could get over 20°C and probably over 20°C across the southeast. But again, that's 8, 9, maybe 10°C lower than it was through the weekend.

“Then you've got the winds to add on, making it feel even fresher the south coast of England, but particularly the coast of Devon, Cornwall, the south coast of Wales, the west coast of Wales, and seasonably windy conditions. Something to bear in mind if you are heading to the beaches here. Far from beach weather though for most places with the heavy showers continuing into the evening slowly pulling away but staying pretty wet over parts of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire well into the evening time and we'll start to see cloud and rain just pushing back into the far southwest of England too.

“Elsewhere though it does turn largely dry. There'll be some clear skies. We've got the fresher air as well. So, a reasonably comfortable night. Certainly a lot cooler than many nights of late. Towns and cities may hold up in the teens, but many rural spots will be lower than that. So, a coolish start to Wednesday, but for many actually looking like a fine day tomorrow. Quite a bit of cloud across Devon, Cornwall.

“But for the vast majority, I think it will be a dry and a bright day tomorrow with some good spells of sunshine lifting the temperatures. A warmer day than today, feeling warmer because the winds will be light and with a bit of sunshine, we're likely to see those temperatures more widely over 20°C. 24, 25°C possible in and around the London area, maybe even up to 26°C. And temperatures could creep up a little higher through the rest of this week."

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