Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Tony Wardle said:

“There’ll be some dry and sunny weather in the forecast for Friday and Saturday, with temperatures reaching into the low 20s Celsius for many across central and southern parts of the UK.  Not everywhere will be dry and warm though, with cloud and rain in northern Scotland on Friday and further rain arriving in Scotland and Northern Ireland later on Saturday.

“With the high temperatures this weekend there’s also the chance of one or two showers popping up in places, especially in the southeast on Saturday, so keep an eye on the latest Met Office forecast if you’ve got outdoor plans this weekend.”

Moving on to the second half of the long weekend, Tony continued:

“Sunday will be a much cloudier day for most with outbreaks of rain across northern parts of the country.  The rain will be heavy in Scotland at times, where it’ll feel rather cool in the northerly breeze and temperatures of around 12 to 15 Celsius.  However, some brighter weather is likely during the afternoon, which could lift the temperature to around 21 Celsius across parts of southeast England.

“By Monday it’ll feel notably cooler as fresher air from the Atlantic spreads to all parts of the UK.  There’ll be frequent showers and some heavy, thundery bursts at times too, although it’ll be drier and brighter in the south at times, with some sunny spells."

With less than a month to the summer solstice (June 21), the sun is high in the sky meaning UV levels will be high for many areas over the long weekend, so remember to take care in the sun.

Professor John O’Hagan, of Public Health England said:

“UV levels over the next few days and the bank holiday may be higher than usual for this time of year. Because you cannot feel or see UV there’s a risk people will suffer sunburn, a sign of skin damage, so be aware of how long you are in the sun, know the limits of your own skin  and use common sense.”

The current highest temperature recorded over the late May Bank Holiday weekend is 32.8 Celsius at Horsham (West Sussex), Tunbridge Wells.

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