Atlantic fronts will bring cloud and rain at times to the north for the rest of this week, southern areas stay dry and sunny while turning increasingly hot.
Tuesday started with a bang for some, with some thundery downpours across central and southeastern England, but this will soon clear away and will be the last rain for the rest of the week for the southern half of Britain. High pressure will build across the south to ensure fine and dry weather, while temperatures will rise too as winds fall light and hot air is drawn in from France – where temperatures are likely to rise into the mid-30s Celsius, so SE England may hit 33C somewhere on Friday. However, the northern half of Britain will be at the mercy of Atlantic fronts passing through, so here we will see cooler and breezier conditions, with cloudier skies bringing outbreaks of rain or showers at times. But most will enjoy a dry and settled weekend with warm sunshine, hot in the south, as high pressure builds in and pushes the Atlantic fronts away from the north.
For now, some across SE England, SE Midlands and East Anglia may have been woken up by heavy rain and cracks of thunder, thanks to a wave in a cold front clearing east enhancing instability.
The heavy thundery downpours will soon clear eastern England out into the North Sea, followed by dry and sunnier conditions for most across mainland Britain this morning, though there will be some well-scattered showers, perhaps locally sharp, affecting some western coastal areas. Across Ireland and Northern Ireland, it will be cloudier, with outbreaks of rain spreading northeast, spreading in across western Scotland later. But for much mainland UK away from the northwest, it will generally stay dry and sunny, with just a few scattered showers passing through for an unlucky few, mainly in the west and southwest.
Temperatures ranging from 20-21C across northern England to 22-24C across southern England, across Scotland and Northern Ireland we are looking at 16-19C the highs. A fresh southwesterly breeze across most areas keeping it cooler around western coastal areas.
A fine evening to end the day across most areas away from Scotland and the far west, where it will be cloudier with some patchy rain affecting western Scotland and Northern Ireland continuing into the night before eventually easing by dawn. Elsewhere remaining largely dry with clear spells overnight, though a few light showers are possible across west Wales.
Mainly dry and settled for Wednesday, as high pressure builds, with decent spells of warm sunshine for many. However, a warm front pushing northeast ahead of low pressure system out over the Atlantic will bring cloud and rain across Ireland and Northern Ireland through the day, reaching Cumbria and southern Scotland by the evening. Turning cloudier across NW England and Wales generally into the afternoon, but mostly dry. There will also be a risk of some showers across NW Scotland. Temperatures reaching 20C in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Belfast, 23C in Manchester, 27C in London – so heat returning to the southeast.
Likely a generally cloudy day on Thursday, away from central southern and southeast England along with East Anglia – where it will be mostly sunny and hot. Outbreaks of showery rain are likely across west Wales, Northern Ireland, northern England and western Scotland – perhaps heavy and thundery across the far north. Warm and muggy for most, despite the cloud, temperatures reaching 20-23C in the north and west, 24-27C towards SE England and East Anglia, perhaps 28-29C in a few spots.
Hotter still across SE England and East Anglia on Friday, as hot air edges up from the near continent, with sunshine perhaps pushing temperatures as high as 32-33C in the London area. Elsewhere it will be generally dry, sunny and very warm as the warmth becomes more widespread. Temperatures reaching 20-22C across Scotland and Northern Ireland, 24-29C across England and Wales. Perhaps cloudier, breezier and cooler with some showers across the north of Scotland though.
The weekend likely to be dry and settled with warm sunshine for most, as an area of high pressure moves up from the Azores across the UK, hot across southern England and East Anglia – where temperatures will likely reach the high twenties Celsius or perhaps low thirties. Low to mid twenties elsewhere across England and Wales, high teens to low twenties across Scotland and Northern Ireland. Just the outside chance of a shower developing across western areas.
