UK weather forecast: Rain to sweep the nation as Brits head into a gloomy week after the Bank Holidays

It won’t feel much like spring in the UK next week as rays of sunshine give way to widespread drizzle, thick cloud cover and freezing lows on Bank Holiday Monday

Sunny spring days will be a distant memory for Brits next week when seriously gloomy weather descends on Britain.

After the weekend’s drizzle across Wales and central and southern England, some rays of Bank Holiday Monday sunshine and high temperatures of up to 18C could give some a chance to break out the BBQ.

“Much dry weather is expected on Monday, with most areas seeing only scattered showers and mild temperatures, largely in the mid-teens,” said David Oliver, the Met Office’s deputy chief meteorologist.

Unfortunately, it won’t be long before the rain returns with a vengeance.

T-shirts and sunglasses will have to be swapped for coats and umbrellas from Tuesday as central and southern areas appear to be taking the brunt of cloud and showers.

Wednesday will be a particularly miserable day with heavy rain concentrated in central and southern regions.

However, things could improve from Thursday as brighter and warmer weather is expected.

After a sunny start to the month, the end of April seemed to undo any progress towards spring as freezing temperatures set in as soon as the sun went down.

“Every night since April 18 mercury has dropped below zero somewhere in the UK,” the Met Office said, adding that Saturday night should be the first without a frost in quite some time.

We hope that May continues the trend!

UK forecast for the next 5 days

Cloudy for most with rain mainly in the south.

Today:

Mostly cloudy with intermittent rain and drizzle, particularly in Wales, southern and central England. Drier over Scotland and Northern Ireland with cloudbursts, although a few showers may develop then. Cold under clouds and rain in the south.

This evening:

Mostly cloudy with lots of low cloud and some fog development, particularly over Northern Ireland, Wales, central and southern England. Rain and drizzle in the south, but mostly dry elsewhere.

Monday:

Low clouds and fog will gather in the morning, slowest in the south, with some breaks. Scattered showers will develop during the day. Warmer in the south and in the middle than on Sunday.

Outlook for Tuesday to Thursday:

Fairly cloudy with scattered showers, strongest and most widespread in central and southern areas on Wednesday. Dryer, brighter and warmer for many on Thursday.