Most areas dry, warm and sunny over the Bank Holiday Weekend, except the far northwest.
The first May Day bank holiday was the 1 May 1978 and it rained all day across parts of England and Wales, though strangely it was sunny and warm in Scotland – where it wasn’t a bank holiday. The May Day Bank Holiday Weekends thereafter have often been plagued by rain or cold winds – or occasionally both. So it’s often asked why we can’t have this bank holiday weekend moved later in the warmer season when there is less risk of cold weather. However, this coming Bank Holiday weekend, for a change, looks like being dry, sunny and increasingly warm – away from the far north and northwest of Scotland.
For now, it will be a dry and bright or sunny day for most, though there will be a fair bit of cloud around. The cloud high and thin in the east making the sun hazy, lower cloud and some mist around some western coasts and hills – which may be thick enough to bring some patchy drizzle. NW Scotland and the Northern Isles will be cooler and breezier, grey and damp too, with occasional drizzle or light rain.
Generally light winds away from the northwest, so where we have some sunshine – it will be pleasantly warm. Temperatures reaching 15-17C in the west, 18-20C in the east. Cooler across the far northwest, with temperatures in low teens at best.
Most places should be dry this evening and overnight, a fair amount of cloud around, but where skies clear – temperatures dipping down into single figures and some mist or fog patches forming. The exception will be across the far northwest, where it will be breezy with thicker cloud and further patchy light rain at times.
Northwest Scotland again close to Atlantic fronts on Saturday – which will bring thicker cloud, gusty winds and some patchy rain. Elsewhere, any early mist or fog soon clearing to a dry day with spells of sunshine and variable amounts of cloud, most prolonged sunny spells across more eastern areas. Winds mostly light too, so warm, temperatures reaching 19-21C across England and Wales, 16-18C across most of Scotland and N. Ireland, 12C in the far north of Scotland.
High pressure still on control on Sunday, keeping Atlantic fronts at bay for most, though still brushing the far north and northwest of Scotland with cloud and patchy rain. But for most it will be a dry, warm and sunny day again, probably more in the way of sunshine than tomorrow too, though there could be some mist and low cloud affecting Irish Sea coasts. Perhaps even a little warmer than tomorrow too, temperatures reaching 21-23C inland across England and Wales, cooler around coasts with sea breezes. Scotland and N. Ireland reaching 15-18C, cooler in the far north.
Lots of sunshine for most on Bank Holiday Monday, with most areas dry and warm, temperatures reaching 23-25C inland across central and southern areas, reaching 17-19C around coastal areas of England and Wales along with Scotland and Northern Ireland. We could reach 27C across SE England – breaking the May Day record of 23.6C set in 1999. Thicker cloud with some light rain reaching NW Scotland later in the day.
Some high UV levels now in the sunshine, so make sure you are covered well in sunscreen when out in the sun this weekend. Pollen levels will be high too for many.
Continuing dry, warm and sunny for most for the rest of the week, though cloud and rain returning from the Atlantic across northern and western Scotland on Tuesday, then cloud and rain affecting the west and then north on Wednesday and Thursday.