For England and Wales especially, the weekend brings yet more hot, sunny weather. Change has already arrived to the northwest though and will spread next week.
While there were a few heavy showers and storms yesterday one coming close to my station at Radcliffe on Trent during the evening, large areas of the country remain in drought. Indeed, it's been so dry that I had to wipe the cobwebs off my rain gauge this morning, with not a drop of rain here now for 27 days. There are signs though that it'll turn cooler and more unsettled early next week, with perhaps a thundery breakdown in the East and South East, but not before yet another weekend of beautiful high summer weather over England and Wales.
There's some patchy cloud this morning mostly over the West Midlands, but this'll soon break up, leaving hardly a cloud in the sky. So it's sunshine from the word go for many, and as we have, we have now lost that northerly breeze, eastern coastal counties will be noticeably sunnier and warmer than of late. A good deal of sunshine is expected over large parts of England and Wales, and while some cloud will develop later to perhaps give the odd sharp shower in the East, it'll be mainly dry with fewer showers than yesterday. Light breezes will be from the South West in the North, with temperatures reaching a very warm or hot 24 to 27C fairly generally and 28 or 29C around London for the Ladies Singles Final at Wimbledon. Afternoon sea breezes, however, will keep some beaches cooler.
Much of Northern Ireland and the East and South of Scotland also see some warm sunshine, but there'll tend to be more in the way of cloud at times here. Towards Donegal, Highland and the Outer Isles it's cloudy, and there's occasional rain, with further bursts likely through the day. Towards Fife, Lothian and The Borders where you'll see the best of the sunshine, temperatures will reach a very warm 22 to 24C. Across Highland, in the far North and West and towards Tyrone and Fermanagh it'll be cooler, where the thermometer will probably get no higher than 14 to 16C. A mostly moderate South West wind will be fresh at times in the North and West.
Much of England, Wales, Lothian and The Borders see a warm, summery evening, ideal in fact for a barbecue, with any rogue showers soon melting away. A dry night will follow with clear spells and light winds allowing mist and the odd patch of fog to form in rural areas, but these'll be short-lived. It'll be a somewhat humid night, especially in the South, with temperatures generally falling no lower than 14 to 16C.
Across Northern Ireland and the remainder of Scotland, a moderate or fresh South to South West wind will bring more cloud, with patchy rain spreading a little further East through the night. It'll be misty over exposed coasts and hills, but it'll be mild here too, with temperatures not falling below 12 to 14C.
For much of England and Wales, Sunday will be another fine high summers day, with lots of sunshine once early morning mist and patchy fog has cleared. It'll become hot and humid by the afternoon in light winds as temperatures reach 26 to 29C in most parts, with a stifling 30 or 31C likely for the Men's Singles final at Wimbledon. Most places stay dry, but again the odd sharp shower could develop later chiefly in hilly areas, with Cumbria seeing more cloud through the day in a southerly breeze.
Although brighter towards Lothian and The Borders, most of Scotland and Northern Ireland are cloudy on Sunday with occasional rain mostly in the North and West. Here it'll continue misty at times with some hill and coastal fog although, through the day, Tyrone and Fermanagh may see drier, brighter weather moving in from the West. Winds'll remain mostly moderate or fresh South to South Westerly, with top temperatures 14 to 16C in the North and West and 19 to 22C towards Lothian and The Borders.
Scotland sees further patchy rain during the evening and night, but winds decrease to become mostly light southerly. Minimum temperatures 10 to 13C. Across Northern Ireland clearer skies move in to leave a dry night and with lighter breezes, patchy mist will form in rural areas where it could turn a little chilly towards dawn as temperatures fall to 8 to 10C. Over England and Wales apart from the odd shower, a warm, summery evening, with be followed by a dry largely clear night. Here too a few short-lived mist patches will form in rural areas later in a humid night, with lowest temperatures 14 to 17C.
