BANK holiday Brits will be shivering in the rain rather than sunbathing amid an Arctic blast, the Met Office has revealed.
Much to the disappointment of those making plans, temperatures will be just 12C on average with highs of 15C for the long weekend next week – although temperatures will rise to 27C mid-May.
A series of hot spells, each lasting up to a week, are expected just in time for May 17 – when hotels plan to reopen and overseas travel gets set to resume, The Weather Outlook has said.
Meanwhile, 30C sunshine at the start of June will set the scene nicely for when all restrictions are due to lift on June 21.
Temperatures are expected to grow even hotter later in the month, with a 33C scorcher on the way.
Read all the latest weather news and updates in our live blog below…
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SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE WEEKEND
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POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS IN SCOTLAND
It will feel cooler in the north this afternoon with temperatures in Manchester hovering around the 9-10C mark, slightly below the UK average for April of 11.5C.
Southern areas will be warmer with temperatures hitting a high of 14C in London, although coastal areas will feel much cooler.
Showers will continue across the UK with possible thunderstorms in eastern Scotland and northeast England.
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MORE RAIN DUE OVER THE BANK HOL WEEKEND
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BANK HOLIDAY TO BRING ‘MIXTURE OF SUNSHINE, SHOWERS AND WIND’
The May Day bank holiday is set to be a mixed bag with showery conditions and temperatures well below the average seen in the past two weeks, the Met Office said.
Forecaster Annie Shuttleworth said the weekend will bring “a mixture of sunshine, showers, and a cold east to the northeasterly wind.”
They added: “Showers will be most frequent in the north and east, but could become quite widespread overland during the day.
“Some wintriness is probable over high ground of Scotland.”
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RAIN TO HIT UK
Annie Shuttleworth, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “You could get some rain over the next couple of days.
“It has been a very dry April, with quite a few areas of the UK seeing quite a small margin of their average April rainfall.”
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FLOOD WARNINGS
England’s Environmental Agency has issued two flood warnings.
The North Sea coast at Hornsea
The Essex coast at Coalhouse Fort and surrounding marshland
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SUNNY DAY AT THE BEACH FOR DORSET
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CHILLY NIGHT
The Met Office’s forecast for tonight: “Showers dying out inland but continuing around coasts exposed to the northeasterly winds.
“The odd shower possible later in the night in central parts.
“Chilly with rural frost for some.”
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DON’T FORGET YOUR UMBRELLA THIS AFTERNOON
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RAIN AND HAIL IN THE AFTERNOON
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TREES IN FULL BLOOM IN LIVERPOOL
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UNSETTLED WEATHER IN MAY
The Weather Outlook has tweeted a forecast for next month
“Probability forecast suggest the short to medium-term focus in on cool and unsettled weather but later on there are a few #blowtorch runs beginning to appear,” they said.
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SNOW IN THE VILLAGE OF TOMATIN IN THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
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RAINY NEXT WEEK
According to the Met office next week is expected to start with “persistent rain and stronger winds from Monday onwards, and temperatures are likely to stay below average at the start of this period.”
Showers will develop in many parts of the country while some will be lucky enough to enjoy sunny spells.
“Showers are likely to fall as snow over high ground in the north.
“Nights will remain cold with some overnight frosts, though these becoming more restricted to the north.
“Temperatures are likely to remain below average overall though there are signs that they could recover back closer to average by the end of the period.”
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COLD BANK HOL
The weekend is expected to be “rather cold with scattered showers,” according to the Met Office.
“Further night frosts for many.
“Becoming wet and windy Monday, with gales in places.
“Still rather cold, though milder by night.”
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CONTINUED
“Long range, hopes are high for a fantastic summer of sun and we make it just 5-4 that 2021 enters the record books as the warmest summer yet,” added Aitkenhead.
Coral’s weather specials
5-4 this summer to be the warmest since records began
2-1 this May to be the wettest on record
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WETTEST MAY ON RECORD
Bookmaker Coral’s odds on next month being the wettest May on record have tumbled to just 2-1 (from 5-1 last week) as rain falls across the UK at the end of April.
“We were spoiled with some sensational April sunshine as pub gardens opened up for the first time in 2021 but now the rain is falling, our odds on next month being the wettest May on record in the UK have fallen too,” said Coral’s Harry Aitkenhead.
Coral do go just 5-4 that this summer enters the record books as the warmest the UK has had, with hopes high for a sweltering few months.
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SIMILAR FRIDAY
According to the Met Office, the weather will be similar tomorrow with sunny spells and showers.
“Another day of sunshine and showers, these most frequent around coasts at first but developing more widely inland by day.
“Staying cool.”
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HEAVY SHOWERS EXPECTED AHEAD OF THE BANK HOL
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CONTINUED
Forecaster Ms Shuttleworth said: “It has been a very dry April, with quite a few areas of the UK seeing quite a small margin of their average April rainfall.
“Some counties may see their lowest April rainfall but it won’t be a UK-wide thing.”
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DRIEST APRIL ON RECORD
Despite the odd showers this month has been the driest Aprils on record, with the UK seeing less than a fifth of the average rainfall for the month so far.
Up to April 22, there had been an average of 12.8mm of rain across the UK, much lower than the April average of 72.53mm, according to Met Office figures.
A typical April in the UK would have had 70 per cent of its rainfall by now, but it instead has just had 18 per cent.
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DRY WITH ‘ODD SHOWERS’ TONIGHT
Showers will be “dying out inland but continuing around coasts exposed to the northeasterly winds,” the Met Office said.
Odd showers are possible later in central parts of the country while it will be chilly with rural frost for some.
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CHILLY TODAY
The day begins with scattered showers in the coast and the north.
The rest of the country is dry with some frost in places.
According to the Weather Outlook the day showers become more “widespread in central and northern areas” and could “fall as snow over high ground in the north.”
There will be scattered showers in the afternoon in the south but many places will remain dry.
“Despite widespread sunny spells it will feel cold for the time of year.
“Maximum temperatures range from 6C in northern Scotland to 13C in southern England,” they said.