The Met Office has forecast that temperatures could reach 22C in parts of the UK this weekend, with data indicating that as many as 40 counties in England and Wales will experience above-average temperatures.
Saturday's Forecast
The national weather agency has said a "band of rain" will move across Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England on Friday. "Heavy showers" are expected in Wales and the Midlands, although temperatures should feel "warm" the further south you are. The Met Office's forecast, issued this afternoon, says temperatures in southern parts of England could reach 22C on Saturday, with highs of 19C expected in northern areas.
Sunday's Outlook
For Sunday, the Met Office says the mercury could reach 19C in southern parts of the country, with highs of 15C on the cards in the north.
Temperature Anomaly Maps
Temperature anomaly maps reveal a north-south divide in temperatures on Saturday. Areas of orange, across England and Wales, show where the mercury will rise above the seasonal average. Areas of blue in Northern Ireland, northern England and Wales indicate where temperatures will be below average. The ECMWF model maps suggest a total of 40 counties across the UK will get above-average temperatures on Saturday, all in either England or Wales.
Counties Set for Above-Average Temperatures on Saturday
England: Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cheshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Herefordshire, Derbyshire, Warwickshire, Northamptonshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Essex, Kent, Hertfordshire, Surrey, Berkshire, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall.
Wales: Merioneth, Ceredigion, Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire, Brecknockshire, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Glamorgan, Monmouthshire.
BBC's Weather Forecast
The BBC's weather forecasters say conditions will be sunnier in the south-east on Saturday. The BBC forecast states: "A sunny start around the cloud and rain in northern England and south-east Scotland. Later, areas of cloud and showers developing for most, but the north-west and far south-east may remain sunnier." Sunday may bring rain to far northern areas and a few showers in far southern England. Otherwise, a dry day, and breezy in the south. Monday is expected to see variable cloud and just a few isolated light showers. Mostly cloudy at first on Tuesday with some light rain, then becoming drier and brighter later.
