Coronation weather forecast: Heavy rain to hit UK during King Charles III’s ceremony

Wet and thundery conditions predicted after coronation as thousands set to descend on London

Heavy bursts of rain are set to fall during the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla today, in a ceremony expected to be bookended by thunderstorms.

Crowds have flocked to the capital to catch a glimpse of the monarch at a 1.3-mile procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey.

In its coronation weekend weather forecast, the Met Office said conditions in the south will be “humid” and wet, though temperatures are expected to hit highs of 17C in London rivalling the warmest coronation on record.

London is set for showers on coronation day (Met Office)

Friday saw a mixture of sunshine and showers, with heavy downpours in central London a few hours before Charles was joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales in a walkabout on The Mall.

The big day is set to be cloudy and wet for many in the UK, albeit less widespread and intense compared to Friday, with rain expected to arrive in London at midday. The two-hour coronation service at Westminster Abbey starts at 11am.

Met Office deputy chief forecaster, Steven Keates, said: “A further area of rain is expected to move into southwest England early on Saturday, moving east and north through the day with some heavy bursts at times.

“This is likely to bring some rain to London by around lunchtime. Further north in Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland it will be a day of sunshine and showers before the more persistent rain moves northwards overnight.

Temperatures of up to 20C are expected on Saturday (Met Office)

“It will feel humid, especially in the south, with highs of 17C possible in London.”

The warmest coronation on record was that of George V, who also experienced highs of 17C during the service marking his ascension to the throne on 22 June 1911.

A night time rehearsal of the coronation (PA Wire)

With celebrations continuing through the bank holiday weekend, Sunday will see areas of rain breaking up into heavy, possibly thundery showers for many parts of England. The driest and brightest weather looks set for parts of Northern Ireland, Wales, western Scotland and southwest England.

The Met Office said Monday will start out mostly dry in eastern areas before a band of rain in the west sweeps across the country, bringing wet weather for many, followed by sunshine and scattered showers.

Winds are expected to be fresh to strong with temperatures near average.

What was the weather like in previous coronations?

Coronation	Date	Daily Max Temp (C)	Daily Min Temp (C)
Edward VII	09/08/1902	16	9.1
George V	22/06/1911	17	12.8
George VI	12/05/1937	14.2	6.2
Elizabeth II	02/06/1953	11.8	6.8

Data from the Met Office archive shows that past coronations dating back to Edward VII have been a mixed bag when it comes to the weather.

The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II saw temperature highs of just 11.8C on 2 June 1953, with some light rain through the day.

Members of the military march near Buckingham Palace in the coronation rehearsal (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The coronation of King George V, however, was the mildest of the past four monarch’s crowning day, with highs of 17C on 22 June 1911.