UK weather forecast: Scorching 24C heat today but rain to hit some regions

Britain faces scorching hot temperatures today, with sunshine across most of the country, but a north-south divide emerges on Sunday as mercury rises to 24C in England while rain falls in Scotland

Brits face a sunny and hot day before temperatures soar to 24C in the south on Sunday, but there will be plenty of rain elsewhere in the country.

People can get outside and make the most of the glorious sunshine today, where temperatures are expected to hit the low 20sC.

There will be some showers across the north and west of the UK which will intensify on Sunday keeping temperatures in the mid to high teens in those areas.

At the same time, high pressure causing extreme temperatures across the continent is likely to affect southern England more on Sunday, pushing mercury to 24C.

The north-south gradient is then expected to continue into next week when the weather is more volatile.

BBC weather forecaster Tomasz Schafernaker said: “The weekend isn’t looking too bad for a lot of us, there’s some sunshine and it’s feeling comfortably warm, but we also have some isolated showers in the forecast, in fact it’s going to be quite a bit by the end eventually cloudy in Northern Ireland and western Scotland later on Saturday.”

He continued: “Broadly bright and sunny across England and Wales, but fast in Northern Ireland and western Scotland… it will become cloudy with some rain.

“Let’s take a closer look, it’s 4pm in the afternoon so the best weather in all of England and Wales with temperatures hovering around 21C, only a chance of a shower but really an outside chance.”

He then said, looking ahead to Sunday: “We will see a weather front brushing parts of the UK. The south and south east is currently under the influence of a high pressure that sits around Holland and Germany and indeed some heat is spreading towards us in the south and south east temperatures are rising a bit.

“While staying on the cool side in the northwest and western areas with that Atlantic breeze and weather fronts, showers, 15C or 16C here at best.”

Then the Met Office says a strengthening jet stream will bring more unsettled weather for next week.

It said: “Next week a strengthening of the jet stream – which plays a crucial role in propelling weather systems towards the UK – is expected to bring unsettled weather through the next week for much of the country, although there will still be some periods of dry weather Weather, most likely in southern and central areas.”

UK forecast for the next 5 days

Scary in the northwest, beautiful further south and east.

Today:

Scattered showers will hit north western parts, some heavy over Scotland, before thickening clouds bring more persistent rain later in the day. Dry with broken clouds and sunny spells in the south and east.

This evening:

Cloudy and windy with some rain and drizzle in the north and northwest. Clear sections to the south and east where some patches of fog may form.

Sunday:

Cloudy with rain or showers in the north and west, later some heavy showers possible. Dry with some spells of sunshine in the south and east where it will be warm to the touch.

Outlook for Monday to Wednesday:

Rain or showers for all, with a risk of hail and thunder in the west on Monday and elsewhere on Tuesday. Storm risk Wednesdays as more rain moves east. Rather cool.