London 2012: Weather threatens to put a dampener on closing ceremony

29 July: Fans suffer the weather outside the Olympic Stadium in Stratford (REUTERS/Paul Hackett)

Stand by for a few days of good weather, but sadly it won't see us to the end of the London Olympics.

Athletes and spectators are set to enjoy a spell of warm and mainly dry weather over the coming days - but things could become more unsettled ahead of Sunday's closing ceremony.

Temperatures around the capital are expected to reach 26C (78.8F) tomorrow as the London Games enters its final stages, according to forecasters.

But there will be an increasing chance of rain in southern parts of the UK towards the end of the weekend which could dampen the closing celebrations at the Olympic Stadium.

Thousands are expected to fill the arena in Stratford for the 9pm ceremony that will see the Olympic flame extinguished to signal the end of the Games.

Claire Austin, a forecaster, said: "There is a chance of one or two showers in the London area during the middle of today but they will be fairly light and scattered.

"Other than that, the majority of the day will be dry with sunny spells and warmer than yesterday with highs of 23C (73.4F)."

She added: "It will be staying more or less dry and settled through Thursday and Friday and most of Saturday but the weather will then turn a bit more unsettled into Sunday with an increasing risk of showers."

The Met Office said Thursday and Friday would be dry in the capital with light winds and highs of around 26C (78.8F). But it also warned of more unsettled conditions over the weekend.

Forecaster Helen Waite said: "Saturday will probably stay dry but there will be an increasing risk of showers as we move into the latter half of the weekend.

"They will be moving into the South West first but then move into the rest of the UK."

Crowds inside the Olympic Stadium huddled under umbrellas during last night's athletics session as the 80,000-capacity arena was hit by periods of rain and drizzle.