Thursday will be a drier and brighter day than Wednesday for many, feeling a little warmer in any sunshine. There will be some showers around, mainly in the south and west, which could be heavy in places. Parts of Scotland could see outbreaks of rain linger in places for most of the day.

A watch-point for rain on Friday

As we enter the bank holiday weekend, the weather is set to be changeable, and is certainly in contrast to the wall-to-wall sunshine we experienced last weekend.

Deputy Chief Meteorologist Steven Keates said: “The Easter weekend is set to bring changeable weather for many. Some areas may experience near dry conditions all weekend, whilst others may see heavy rain.

“We are keeping a close eye on an area of low pressure which sinks away to the south on Friday. This could bring with it some heavy, and possibly even disruptive rain for parts of southwest England, and also parts of Northern Ireland and south Wales. This will bring the potential for some difficult travelling conditions, with a lot of spray on the roads, and it’s important people keep an eye on our forecast as things evolve over the coming day or so.”

RAC breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: â€śIf the heavy rain expected in the westcountry and south Wales on Good Friday becomes a reality, many drivers may have their journeys disrupted as they set off for day trips and long weekends. It’s vital to plan ahead and be prepared for trips to take longer because of the wet weather and the expected getaway congestion. With an estimated 6.2 million people undecided exactly when they’ll travel, the big question is whether any sign of sun leads to big jams on a single day. Whatever happens, it’s wise to travel as early as possible or later in the day when most of the traffic has eased.”

Sunshine and showers across the Easter weekend

Steven continued: “The low will pull away to the south on Saturday, although the speed and time of the clearance is rather uncertain at the moment. Some rain may linger across parts of the west/southwest but elsewhere, many parts will enjoy some  sunny spells, with light winds and temperatures around average.

“Easter Sunday looks to be the widely drier day of the weekend. Cloud amounts will vary, but most places should see some bright or sunny spells at times. Parts of the far south and west may remain cloudier with a few showers around. Temperatures look generally close to the seasonal average.

“Things probably turn a little more unsettled again on Monday, with outbreaks of rain/showers in the south and west, tending to spread northwards and perhaps becoming heavy at times, though there is currently a lot of uncertainty in the details.”

Further ahead

Confidence remains low in the details for next week, but at the moment southern areas are more likely to remain rather changeable with further showers, whilst more northern parts of the UK could see the best of the drier weather, albeit with some chilly nights.  

Keep up to date with weather warnings, and you can find the latest forecast on our website, on YouTube, by following us on X 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