After a sunny Bank Holiday, the UK is set for a change. This week brings an unsettled spell with much-needed rain and cooler temperatures.
After a lovely end to the Bank Holiday, fronts are moving in from the west. Tuesday marks the beginning of an increasingly unsettled period that will bring some welcome rain for the remainder of the week. The first of these systems has already brought bursts of locally heavy rain to the north and west and will push eastwards this morning across the rest of the country. The rain will be sporadic, accompanied by some unusual cloud formations containing the remnants of ex-hurricane Erin.
On Tuesday afternoon, the front will clear into the North Sea, leaving sunny spells, especially in central and (later) eastern areas, where some parts are still dry. It will become very warm again, but scattered showers will develop. Temperatures will be a little lower than yesterday, ranging from 24C to 26C. The west and north will see more showers, some heavy and thundery, with a blustery south to south-westerly wind. Temperatures of 18C to 21C are more likely here.
The showers will tend to fade through the evening, giving way to clear intervals after dark. However, the lull will be brief, as another frontal system brings further bursts of rain to much of Northern Ireland, South Wales, and the South West later in the night. Lowest temperatures will be between 12C and 15C.
Wednesday will begin fine and dry across the north and east, but early sunshine will soon give way to cloud. Outbreaks of rain will follow, reaching all but northern Scotland through the day, accompanied by a freshening southerly wind. Brighter skies will follow to the south and west, but scattered showers will continue, some of which will be heavy and thundery. As a result, maximum temperatures of 17C to 22C will be closer to the normal for late August.
Scotland and parts of eastern England will remain wet into the evening before the rain finally moves away overnight. This will allow clear intervals to develop, but there will continue to be scattered showers, chiefly in the west. Some could be heavy over Northern Ireland and the Irish Sea coasts, which are exposed to a blustery south-west wind. It will also feel fresher, although temperatures are unlikely to fall below 10C to 14C.
Thursday will bring an increasing number of showers, some of which will be heavy and persistent in the north and west amid gusty winds. Further frontal systems will bring more rain at times on Friday and into the weekend. Although this rain is much needed, a sustained spell of wet weather is required to replenish the very low reservoir levels.
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