UK weather: Mixed bag as south sees sunny spells, while blustery showers hit north

Temperatures over weekend to remain below average for this time of year

Weather conditions across the UK in the coming days are split between the north and south of the country, with drier, brighter conditions in southern and eastern areas but some heavy rain expected in the north.

Friday brings a mostly dry day across southern parts, with some sunny spells and the possibility of rain in some areas later in the day. There will also be some sunshine in the north, but windy conditions will bring showers which turn blustery tonight.

“After a bright start for much of England and Wales, it then turns cloudy and layers of high and medium cloud sweep across the southern third of the UK,” said Met Office forecaster Aidan McGivern.

“By the end of the afternoon, [there] will be the first signs of some rain appearing in the southwest, as well as south Wales. Nothing particularly heavy at this stage, and much of the daylight hours in England and Wales will be largely dry.”

Temperatures are expected to stay relatively stable through the weekend, with a high of 19C in London from today until Sunday. But the further north you go, the chillier it gets as temperatures dip to a high of 14C on Sunday in Edinburgh.

Britons living in southern and eastern areas will enjoy a dry Saturday with sunny spells, whereas patchy rain will fall elsewhere, especially in the northwest, said the Met Office.

“In the northwest on Saturday, further showers coming through with a lot of cloud cover across Scotland, Northern Ireland and much of northern England and Wales, and that’s where the most frequent showers will be, some heavy downpours along with that brisk breeze,” said Mr McGivern.

“That breeze will make it feel cooler [in southern areas] too, coming in from the northwest and it will limit temperatures, so below average temperatures for most places.”

Sunday will also see sunny spells and showers, but as more cloud and wind builds into the start of next week, temperatures are expected to climb slightly.