Met Office reveals when ‘African plume’ heatwave will hit UK

High pressure is set to dominate UK’s weather in coming weeks, forecaster says

A Met Office forecast indicates there are warm days ahead as the UK bids farewell to chilly and rainy weather.

Weather maps reveal a high pressure system taking over the country very soon, ahead of the possible arrival of the African plume, bringing heatwave like conditions in the UK by the end of May.

Friday will be bright and breezy, with scattered showers potentially developing, some of which could be locally heavy.

By the start of the weekend, sunny intervals will prevail for southern parts, however, weather in the north is set to be damp.

Scotland and Northern Ireland can expect rather cloudy skies on Saturday, accompanied by patches of rain that will gradually move southeastwards.

England and Wales will enjoy drier and brighter weather, with occasional warm rays of sunshine breaking through the clouds.

Additionally, light winds are expected across the country, making for a relatively calm day.

Moving into Sunday, Scotland and Northern Ireland will continue to experience cloudy skies and intermittent spells of rain while residents of England and Wales can again look forward to sunny spells breaking through the clouds at times.

The far southeast could experience cooler temperatures due to a brisk breeze.

Next week, most regions can expect fine and dry weather, with periods of cloud and rain more likely in the northwest of the UK. Unsettled weather remained a possibility in the far southeast.

Overall, temperatures during the day are expected to be above average for most parts of the country next week, although the far southeast may see temperatures closer to average.

While initially the Met Office indicated a predominantly settled theme for the following week and beyond, looking further ahead, high pressure is set to dominate the UK’s weather in the coming weeks, gradually shifting north over time.

This pattern is likely to bring more settled conditions to central and northern regions, but the risk of rain and showers remained higher towards the southeast.