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The UK is set to continue enjoying warm weather this week, but sun-seekers shouldn’t get carried away: rain is also hitting the country during the first week of the summer holidays.
After a rainy start to the day for many on Tuesday, temperatures could soar to 27C on Wednesday in the south-east around London with drier and brighter weather expected across the country, according to the Met Office.
Much of the UK will be facing a ridge of high pressure, with double-digit temperatures expected to persist for the rest of the week.
Some parts of the country will still see rain showers, but even more unstable conditions will not occur until mid-week, with showers forecast in the afternoon.
It comes after the UK experienced a mini heatwave last week, with temperatures reaching 31.9C in central London on Friday.
The Met Office says another frontal system moving in from the west has triggered showers developing across the Midlands and into southern Scotland.
Tuesday will be warmer than Monday, with temperatures expected to climb to 25°C in the southeast.
In the evening, showers will ease with many sunny spells and more cloud is expected in western Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Any periods of fog will be short-lived, as the week is expected to be mostly dry and bright.
Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said: “The long-term outlook for early August suggests that what is most likely is drier weather further south, with more frequent showers and rain further north and west.
“There remains a harbinger of more changeable weather periods in the first half of August, with some low pressure periods occasionally leading to more unstable weather.”
Tuesday
Much of the country woke up this morning to some light drizzle which quickly eased as the morning progressed. Temperatures are expected to reach 25°C in the south-east and will be warmer than on Monday. Spotty showers are expected across the country and these are expected to ease by the evening with clear skies.
From Wednesday to Friday
Temperatures will reach 27C on Wednesday in south-east London, but will drop on Thursday and more heavy rain is expected. Temperatures will remain mild, with temperatures dropping below 20C in some parts of the country. A light breeze is also expected on Thursday. Friday will see some showers in the north of the UK, but the south will be drier and temperatures will return to mild temperatures.
During the weekend
The first thunderclaps will be felt towards the end of the week, when a band of cloud and rain clears to the southeast. This will open the way to scattered showers over much of the northwest, but these will ease overnight.
Sunshine and showers, some of which could be heavy and thundery across much of the country and temperatures will fall below average.
End of July to August
The UK is set to continue to enjoy sunny spells but can expect some rainy spells as August looks set to be changeable, the Met Office says.
Wet weather will be interspersed with dry and sunny spells, with most of the rainfall occurring in northern and western areas. Minimal rainfall is expected in southern and eastern parts of the UK and temperatures could rise above average.
High levels of UV rays will persist throughout the season and charities such as Cancer Research UK have highlighted the risks of not wearing adequate sun protection during the summer months.
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “The fact that the majority of these cases are preventable underlines the importance of people taking sun protection seriously.”
