Hotting up early next week. A lot of weekend rain for western Scotland

We are in a bit of a cooler, fresher dip but the warmth, even heat, and humidity will return early next week. High pressure lurks near to southern Britain bringing drier more settled fine weather. Low pressures away to the north, near Iceland and then more pulsing in from the west all lead to wet and windy weather. Western Scotland already has a weather warning for heavy rain as the downpours just keep on coming. Temperatures will start to rise on Sunday but really lift Monday/ Tuesday throughout the UK with 31C possible in the SE.

There is rain already over Western Scotland this morning before the main rain event of this weekend. The Met Office warning starts later on Saturday and runs into Sunday night as little lows run along a frontal divide bringing further pulses of heavy rain up against the Scottish hills and mountains.  Around 150mm of rain is possible with strong winds, hill walkers take note and there could be disruption to travel.

Elsewhere there will be a lot of dry, even fine weather especially for the southern half of Britain and eastern areas with more shelter from the westerly flow.

Today

Today’s rain will move southwards over Scotland (with shelter for Grampian) and Northern Ireland this morning clearing Co. Down at lunchtime. It will still be wet for southern Scotland, the Isle of Man and reaching Cumbria. The rain moves over the Irish Sea and NW England this afternoon, reaching north Wales by teatime. This band extending over northern England will bring grey skies, blustery winds and damp weather with a few heavier bursts on the back edge. The SW wind continues, a light breeze for southern England and a fresh wind further north with strong winds, even coastal gales around the frontal band and for northern Scotland.

To the south of the frontal band there will be a lot of fine, dry weather with sunny or bright spells. Just at times, thicker cloud for Wales or SW England with patchy rain. The temperatures will be in the high teens, low 20sC for a few places in southern England. This was the scene yesterday and today will be similar, thicker lumpy cloud which could bring a spot of rain, speckled Cumulus clouds for others.

Behind the front, to the north it will feel cooler, in the mid-teens with a scattering of showers and bright spells but windy. These showers become heavier later on as the air turns cooler. The frontal band will fade as it trudges southwards over Wales and the Midlands during Friday night. There will still be outbreaks of rain for southwest Britain early on Saturday with more cloud extending over southern Britain, but the brighter skies soon return. Saturday will be a fresher feeling day but still with warm sunshine and light winds for the southern half of Britain. Northern Britain and Northern Ireland say blustery and cooler with temperatures in the mid-teens at best. The westerly winds will feed in some sharp showers.

Then things begin to change. Warmer air is on its way, but the rain sets in for western Scotland on Saturday evening and overnight. The winds back and strengthen around the first low, becoming gusty and the temperatures rise on Sunday, up into the mid 20sC for eastern England and London. High pressure to the SE keeps a lot of fine settled weather for England and Wales although Cumbria will catch some of the rain.

Early on Monday morning, the rain clears northwards from Scotland, finally and the winds become light and southerly. Then the warmth really takes hold, widely high teens and low 20s with much of England into the high 20sC. London by Monday and other inland parts of SE Britain by Tuesday could reach 30 or 31C. There are signs of thundery showers appearing by then but it’s a fair way off for now.