Britain is set to experience a dramatic temperature rise towards the end of the week, with forecasters predicting a high of 26°C in the south east on Friday. This comes after a cold snap earlier in May, when northerly winds brought Arctic air into the country. However, the Met Office now forecasts settled sunshine and warmer weather across England and Wales by the weekend.
Cold Start to May
For most of May, Britain experienced cold weather, with daytime temperatures mostly between 9°C and 14°C, well below the seasonal average of 17°C to 18°C for this time of spring. The northerly winds brought colder Arctic air, causing temperatures to remain a few degrees below normal.
Unsettled Conditions Early Week
Unsettled conditions are expected to prevail during the early part of the week. Monday will bring showers, some bright and sunny spells, and possibly thunderstorms in several locations, while stronger winds are expected on Tuesday. Weather systems moving eastwards will influence patterns until mid-week.
Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said: "The first half of this week is still going to be changeable, if not unsettled, across parts of the UK. Temperatures at the start of the week are still a little subdued for the time of the year; as we head towards the weekend, we are expecting to see a change."
Improvement from Thursday
Weather conditions will begin improving on Thursday as high pressure develops over England and Wales. Sunny and more settled weather is expected, with temperatures rising gradually to reach a maximum of 26°C in the south east by Friday. For comparison, highs in Athens are forecast to reach 25°C, while Barcelona may see 21°C.
Bank Holiday Weekend Outlook
Warmth is also expected to prevail during the bank holiday weekend. Forecasters predict that England and Wales will enjoy the most sunshine, with temperatures staying higher than normal for the time of year in many areas.
Snell said: "The best of the sunshine across the bank holiday weekend will probably be across England and Wales. Temperatures are still above normal, potentially very warm again, but it's a bit too far in the future to get maximums."
He added that recent forecasts show a much more favourable picture for the holiday weekend after several colder and wetter days earlier this month. "Indications are at the moment that the bank holiday looks a lot better than what we've had over the last week or so."
