Met Office daily weather: Latest forecast suggests north-south weather divide

The latest Met Office weather forecast suggest a north-south split in conditions on Thursday.

A north-south split in conditions is expected across the UK on Thursday. The southern half of the country will enjoy a settled and dry day, with rather warm temperatures and periods of cloud. Maximum temperatures are forecast to reach 25-26°C in southeast England, remaining slightly above average across central, southern, and eastern England.

Further north, conditions will be more unsettled. Scotland and Northern Ireland will see near-average temperatures, with more cloud and frequent showers, particularly over the hills of western Scotland. Isolated thunderstorms are possible during the afternoon, mainly affecting northeast Scotland. Winds will strengthen through the day as a band of rain approaches from the west.

Overnight, showers in the north will give way to more persistent and, at times, heavy rain, especially across western Scotland. Winds will continue to strengthen. In contrast, southern areas will remain dry and largely clear, though a few fog patches may develop in the far southwest. Overnight temperatures will be milder across central and northern areas, though not notably so.

Outlook for Friday

Friday will bring a continuation of the north-south divide. Scotland and Northern Ireland will be cloudy and fairly windy, with outbreaks of rain throughout the day. The wettest conditions are expected over western and northwestern Scotland, where persistent and heavy rain will affect windward hills and mountainous areas.

Meanwhile, England and Wales will enjoy a fine day with plenty of sunshine, particularly in the morning and early afternoon. However, cloud and outbreaks of rain will gradually extend southeastwards later in the day. Temperatures will remain warm in the southeast, with highs of 25-27°C expected. Elsewhere across England and Wales, temperatures will widely reach the low to mid-20s. Cooler conditions will persist in the northwest.

Friday night will be cooler initially, with a lower dew point air mass in place. Some urban areas, such as London, may see overnight minima a few degrees lower than model guidance suggests.

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Met Office presenter and meteorologist, Honor Criswick, said: “Thursday, once again, mostly settled conditions across the south. Plenty of sunny spells to go around and fairly similar temperatures. Though once again across the northwest it is a very different story. More cloud, plenty of showery outbreaks at times. These could be quite heavy and blustery. Once again you may even hear the odd rumble of thunder.

“So, it's a real good north south split in the weather as we head our way into Thursday. Still once again that fresher feeling air across the far north particularly in the stronger breeze. But across the south once again highs reaching around 26°C in the London area but for many temperatures in the mid to low 20s. So feeling fresher but still warm in that sunshine.

“Into the evening we'll see a continuation of that weather, the cloud, the showers spreading their way eastwards across the north but remaining mostly dry in the south. And we pretty much remain in that north south setup as we head into Friday. But a very different feel in the weather as we head towards the weekend.”

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