Maps show where the UK will be hottest this weekend

Parts of the UK will enjoy balmy weather as temperatures hit 20C on Friday and Saturday, the Met Office says.

Ellen Manning
Updated ·7 min read
People making the most of a sunny summer's day in Queen's Park, in Glasgow's Southside.
Parts of the UK are in for some warmer weather on Friday and into the weekend. (Stock image: Getty)

Parts of the UK will be able to bask in 20C temperatures as warm weather arrives this weekend, before returning to cooler average April temperatures after the weekend.

The Met Office said England and Wales were set to be mostly dry with warm sunshine on Friday, with forecasters saying Friday would feel: "very warm in the sunshine, especially in the east". Temperatures in parts of the country are set to stay in the mid to high teens over the weekend, although some areas will experience rain showers.

But the warmer weather will be short-lived, with temperatures dropping on Sunday, and the Met Office saying Monday will bring: "A notably cooler feel as temperatures drop to average for April." The warmer weather comes as 20 flood warnings remained in place for some parts of England on Friday after days of wet weather lashed the country, forcing the evacuation of more than 200 people from a holiday park in West Sussex on Tuesday after the River Arun burst its banks.

Friday

London, Hounslow, Chigwell, Colchester, Reading, Ipswich, Stevenage, Watford, Chelmsford are among the places where forecasters have predicted 20c temperatures. (Met Office)
London, Hounslow, Chigwell, Colchester, Reading, Ipswich, Stevenage, Watford, Chelmsford are among the places where forecasters have predicted 20c temperatures. (Met Office)

Friday will bring warm sunshine to areas of the UK, with temperatures hitting 20C in London and the southeast.

According to the Met Office, it will feel "very warm in the sunshine, especially in the east".

Saturday

The South East will continue to be the warmest area of the UK at the weekend, with London and Colchester hitting 19C. (Met Office)
The South East will continue to be the warmest area of the UK at the weekend, with London and Colchester hitting 19C. (Met Office)

Saturday will stay warm for many areas, especially the east of the country, and the south-east, with temperatures forecast in the high teens.

According to the Met Office, patchy low cloud should clear quickly in the south, though a weak band of rain will move southeastwards, clearing by dusk. There will also be showers in the northwest that could bring thunder.

Sunday

Temperatures are expected to dip on Sunday, with the South East, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk likely to be the UK's warmest regions. (Met Office)
Temperatures are expected to dip on Sunday, with the South East, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk likely to be the UK's warmest regions. (Met Office)

It will be generally bright, breezy and cooler on Sunday, with showers in the northwest.

Temperatures will also start to drop down to the low teens, ahead of returning to normal April temperatures next week.

Read more: UK weather: African plume to bring 72-hour heatwave as temperatures soar to 20C (Edinburgh Live)

Yahoo breaks down what the weather will be like for each region of the UK.

London and the South-East

  • Friday and Saturday

A cloudy start to the day on Friday with plenty of sunshine developing through the morning. Staying dry across the region. Feeling very warm in sunshine. Maximum temperature 21 °C.

Also a cloudy start to the day on Saturday with brighter spells spreading south through the morning. Cloud and wind increasing in the afternoon, with some light rain. Skies clearing in the evening. Maximum temperature 20 °C.

  • Sunday to Tuesday

Becoming cooler over the weekend, with sunny spells and largely dry on Sunday. Heavy showers or longer spells of rain on Monday. Further brighter spells and showers Tuesday. Breezy throughout.

South-West

  • Friday and Saturday

Mostly dry though fairly cloudy on Friday, with some drizzle at times in the west. Sunny spells developing in the east. Feeling rather warm in any sunshine, otherwise mild but breezy. Maximum temperature 16 °C.

Saturday will be dry for many with hazy sunshine at times. Winds will mainly be breezy, but locally strong in the west later. Maximum temperature 16 °C.

  • Sunday to Tuesday

Sunny spells and occasional showers on Sunday. Showers becoming more widespread and heavier on Monday. The odd shower on Tuesday, but with sunny spells also. Driest in the southwest. Breezy.

Midlands

  • Friday and Saturday

Cloudy to start in the West Midlands, but this will break up to allow increasing amounts of sunshine throughout the day. A pleasant day across the region and feeling warm. Breezy throughout. Maximum temperature 17 °C. In the East Midlands, a good deal of sunshine through the day, perhaps cloudier in the north for a short time at first. Remaining dry and feeling rather warm. Maximum temperature 19 °C.

Largely dry on Saturday in the West Midlands with hazy sunshine at times, though perhaps some drizzle to start. Windy throughout and rather warm. Maximum temperature 15 °C. In the East Midlands, a cloudy start to the day with outbreaks of rain over the Peak District, becoming brighter in the afternoon with sunny spells and blustery showers. Maximum temperature 17 °C.

Sunday to Tuesday

Sunny spells and occasional showers on Sunday in the West Midlands. Showers becoming more widespread and heavier on Monday, with temperatures returning to average. Cloudier with scattered showers on Tuesday. Breezy.

Becoming cooler over the weekend in the East Midlands with sunny spells and isolated showers on Sunday. Heavy showers or longer spells of rain on Monday. Further brighter spells and showers Tuesday. Breezy throughout.

North-East

  • Friday and Saturday

Cloudy conditions lasting through the day with outbreaks of rain and drizzle through the morning, and persisting over western hills through the afternoon. Meanwhile brighter and drier in the east. Breezy over the Pennines. Maximum temperature 15 °C.

A cloudy start to Saturday with outbreaks of rain over hills, becoming brighter in the afternoon with sunny spells and blustery showers. Maximum temperature 16 °C.

  • Sunday to Tuesday

Becoming cooler over the weekend, with sunny spells and isolated showers on Sunday. Heavy showers or longer spells of rain on Monday. Further brighter spells and showers Tuesday. Breezy throughout.

[IMAGE/MET OFFICE TWEET/MET OFFICE SCREENSHOT/PA GRAPHIC ETC HERE]

North-West

  • Friday and Saturday

A cloudy day in the north on Friday with outbreaks of rain and drizzles at times, more persistent on hills. Elsewhere sunnier spells after a cloudy start. Feeling less mild than recent days. Breezy especially over high ground. Maximum temperature 15 °C.

Fairly cloudy on Saturday with outbreaks of rain or showers at times. Windy with coastal gales possible. Temperatures returning to average. Maximum temperature 13 °C.

  • Sunday to Tuesday

Sunnier spells and scattered showers on Sunday and Monday, these showers heavy at times with hail and thunder. Cloudier with scattered showers on Tuesday. Feeling slightly cooler. Breezy.

Scotland

  • Friday and Saturday

Mostly cloudy and mainly dry in the Borders on Friday, with a little light rain over the Southern Uplands. Rain developing more widely across the southwest later. Some brightness along the east coast where it will feel reasonably warm. Maximum temperature 15 °C.

On Saturday, any cloud and rain across the far south soon clearing. Then a bright day with scattered showers by afternoon, these occasionally heavy. Maximum temperature 15 °C.

In the Highlands, dry on Friday morning with some good spells of sunshine away from Lochaber and later The Uists. Cloud and patchy rain will spread northeast on Friday afternoon, although little rain in the east. Fresh to strong southwesterly winds. Warm along Moray coast. Maximum temperature 15 °C.

Some bright or sunny spells and scattered showers on Saturday , heavy at times with with a chance of hail and thunder. Far northwest may see some longer spells of rain. Windy. Maximum temperature 14 °C.

  • Sunday to Tuesday

A colder and unsettled few days in the Borders with scattered showers. More in the way of drier weather by Tuesday. Similar conditions are forecast for the Highlands.

Northern Ireland

  • Friday and Saturday

A mostly cloudy day on Friday with some patchy light rain or drizzle, this mainly across the west. The southeast may brighten up a little later on and become rather warm. Maximum temperature 15 °C.

Any cloud and rain across the southeast soon clearing on Saturday. Then a bright day with scattered showers by afternoon, these occasionally heavy. Maximum temperature 15 °C.

  • Sunday to Tuesday

A colder and unsettled few days with scattered showers. More in the way of drier weather by Tuesday.

Wales

  • Friday and Saturday

Often cloudy throughout Friday morning with some rain or drizzle in the north and west. Brighter spells developing in the east through the afternoon, and feeling warm in the sunshine. Breezy. Maximum temperature 15 °C.

On Saturday, cloudy for much of the morning and early afternoon with outbreaks of rain and drizzle. Becoming drier and brighter into the late afternoon. Maximum temperature 15 °C.

  • Sunday to Tuesday

Bright spells and the odd shower Sunday with temperatures returning closer to average. Blustery with widespread and occasionally heavy showers Monday. Sunny spells and the odd shower Tuesday.