However, before we see a build of high pressure and more settled conditions, many of us will see a somewhat wet and cool end to the week. 

Today, rain has moved northeast into Northern Ireland, Wales and an increasing portion of England. Whilst it is likely to brighten up in the southwest this afternoon, further rain is expected to develop across the southeast overnight into Friday morning. It will feel particularly cool where cloud persists, but a brighter day for many on Friday will allow temperatures to recover to nearer normal.

The broader weather patterns across the North Atlantic are complex at present, in part because of warm tropical air tied in with Hurricane Franklin moving north into more temperate latitudes. This will help build an area of high pressure in the vicinity of the UK heralding a spell of fine and warm weather for many of us.

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Steven Keates, said: “High pressure will build across much of the UK this weekend, bringing fine, dry and settled conditions for many. It will feel rather humid in the south with temperatures reaching 23 or 24C on Saturday, while further north it will reach the high teens or low twenties Celsius. Many areas will see fine and warm weather on Sunday as well, with temperatures widely in the low to mid 20s Celsius. However, the far north and northwest of Scotland will be breezier and cloudier with some rain at times.”

Looking further ahead

By early next week, the remnants of Franklin will probably be absorbed into another area of low pressure, swirling to the west of Iberia. This too will help to push warm air northwards towards the UK, and with high pressure remaining close by, probably just to the east of the UK by this time, further warm and often sunny weather looks probable, at least through the first part of next week.

As we look beyond next week there are some indications that high pressure could well continue to dominate the UK weather. However, there are many uncertainties in how weather in the UK will evolve when forecasting that far ahead and it is best to keep a check on the latest forecast on our website, by following us on Twitter and Facebook, as well as on our mobile app which is available for iPhone from the App store and for Android from the Google Play store. Keep track of current weather warnings on the weather warning page