UK weather: Heavy rain to hit after heatwave with showers expected to cross the country - but warmth is set to return just in time for the weekend By Mark Duell Published: 08:39, 7 August 2024 | Updated: 08:43, 7 August 2024 e-mail View comments Britain is set for an unsettled few days as parts of the country are hit by heavy rain before the summer sunshine returns in time for the weekend. Much of the UK could face showers at times today with the heaviest rain expected in Scotland, although conditions should turn drier and clearer into the evening. Temperatures are expected to reach 23C (73F) in southern England this afternoon, 20C (68F) in the North and 18C (64F) in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland .
Met Office meteorologist Amy Bokota said: 'A brighter and fresher start if you're in the South East today, but it will be a fairly damp start across the far North West. 'And that's due to an area of low pressure and associated occluded front giving some fairly heavy and frequent showers through the morning. A cyclist out for a ride in the morning sunshine today in the Oxfordshire village of Dunsden 'But as we head into the afternoon there's a ridge of high pressure extending across the South and we will see some drier conditions through the afternoon.
' Read More Rain falls across the UK with Brits set for a cooler and fresher night after run of stuffy evenings Most places will remain dry this evening but the North West will endure scattered showers and outbreaks of rain could fall over the South West by dawn. Ms Bokota said: 'Heading through this evening any showers remaining will slowly start to die out but we will still see them continue to feed into western Scotland and in the far South West.' She said cloud would thicken as a new frontal system brings 'rain, drizzle and quite murky conditions to start the day on Thursday'.
Cloud and rain will move in from the West tomorrow which could turn heavier in the afternoon amid highs of 23C (73F) in the South and 21C (70F) in the North. Salisbury Cathedral shrouded in the early morning mist at sunrise in the Wiltshire city today Beautiful skies at dawn over the woods at Clayfield Copse in Berkshire this morning Ms Bokota added: 'Underneath the cloud and rain we're going to see a return some more humid, muggy conditions but under the clearer skies further east it's going to be a bit of a fresher start to the day. Read More Heatwave cools in the UK as warm and settled spells of 26C highs will dominate the south 'So there will be some early morning sunshine for parts of the South East and North East England and North East Scotland.
'But we do have an area of rain and drizzle slowly moving north-eastwards and there will be some heavier outbursts as well at times particularly for northern Wales and North West England. 'So there could be some isolated surface water flooding in these few spots.' She also said that 'with the cloud, the rain and that strong wind it's probably not going to be feeling too summer-like', although the best of the sunshine tomorrow will be across the far South East and for parts of Shetland.
Ms Bokota said it would be a 'grey and wet night' tomorrow but conditions are then set to improve in the South by the end of the week. Read More UK's heatwave eases off but families flock to beaches She added that 'much drier and brighter' weather was on the way for Friday with highs of 26C (79F), although showers will continue in the North. Temperatures will be even higher this weekend with 27C (81F) expected in the South East on Saturday and 29C (84F) on Sunday, although the North could face more rain.
It follows an official heatwave last week which saw the UK's hottest day of 2024 so far on July 30 when 32.0C (89.6F) was recorded at both Kew Gardens and Heathrow Airport in London .
The top temperature in Britain yesterday was 26.4C (79.5F) at Neatishead in Norfolk.
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