Met Office daily weather: A changeable midweek with both rain and sunshine

A changeable midweek with rain in the north, drier and brighter further south

Wednesday will begin on a cloudy and breezy note across northern areas, with a band of persistent and locally heavy rain moving eastwards.

This rain will clear eastern parts by early afternoon, but further outbreaks are expected to linger, particularly across western Scotland. In contrast, southern regions will enjoy a much drier day. Once any isolated fog patches clear, there will be bright or sunny spells, making for a pleasant autumn day.

Temperatures will be near to, or slightly above, the seasonal average. Eastern and north-eastern England may feel a little cooler due to thicker frontal cloud coinciding with the main period of daytime heating. Elsewhere, max temperatures will be similar to Tuesday, with highs of 18-20°C, and locally up to 21°C across southern and eastern England. Northern Scotland will see highs of 18-19°C.

Overnight, it will remain very mild across Northern Ireland and Scotland, where cloud and further outbreaks of rain, heavy at times and persistent over the hills of western and north-western Scotland, are expected. Elsewhere, the night will be largely dry, though a few fog patches may develop in the south under clear skies and light winds. Temperatures in southern and south-western England could dip to mid-single figures in a few spots, making for a cooler night here.

Outlook for Thursday

Thursday will be a cloudy day for many, with outbreaks of rain in the north and west becoming more widespread and heavier away from the hills as the day progresses. However, southern and eastern areas are likely to see plenty of fine weather with sunny spells, at least for much of the day.

It will turn cloudier later as rain spreads eastwards. Winds will be fresh to strong in the north and west, with a risk of gales in exposed locations, but will remain moderate elsewhere until the evening, when stronger winds extend further south and east. Temperatures will be near to or a little above average, and it will feel warm in parts of central and southern England and Wales.

Met Office presenter and meteorologist, Aidan McGivern, said: “We start Wednesday with that very wet weather across much of Scotland, particularly for the north and the west. Now the rain is likely to stick around for much of the day, but it's going to ease off. It's not going to be as heavy. It's going to be on and off for much of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Northern England.

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“Further south for the southern half of the UK, there'll be areas of cloud here and there, but after any early mist and fog clears. There'll still be some sunny spells for the south and southeast of England. And again, some brighter spells there for the north and northeast of Scotland eventually. As a result, it's another relatively warm day. Even where it's raining, it's not going to be particularly cold, although the breeze and those spells of rain not making it feel particularly uh pleasant.

“Now we go into Wednesday night with again an increase in the intensity, the uh distribution and the heaviness of the rain across Northern and Western Scotland and Northern Ireland. And at this stage, a yellow warning becomes in force because this rain across western Scotland will really accumulate over the coming days late Wednesday through to Friday. Just persistent spells of rain thanks to a very moist south-westerly air flow. We're talking about 75 mm widely for western Scotland, 150 over the hills, and for some of the most exposed hilltops, 250 mm. Once that clears through later Friday, well, the next low is knocking on the door.”

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