Met Office: 22 Areas Face Rain as UK Split North-South

Met Office maps show 22 areas facing rain on Sunday as Britain is split in two, with downpours sweeping across the north while southern parts of the country bask in hot and largely dry conditions.

Rain in the North, Heat in the South

Forecast charts show rain stretching across large parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland before moving towards northern England as the day progresses. The wet weather will come despite temperatures soaring elsewhere, with southern and south-eastern England forecast to reach the low 30s Celsius on Sunday.

The Met Office has warned the rain in the north will include "some heavy spells", while much of the rest of the country will remain dry and sunny.

—

Wide Pickt banner — collaborative shopping lists app for Telegram, phone mockup with grocery list

Timeline of the Rain

Maps for 1am show a broad band of rain stretching from Northern Ireland northeastwards across Scotland, with heavier bursts embedded within the system. By 6am, the rain remains widespread, extending across parts of Northern Ireland and through Scotland, including around Glasgow and towards Aberdeen. More intense rainfall is shown further northeast.

The 10am forecast shows the rain continuing to move southeastwards, with wet conditions still affecting parts of Northern Ireland and a large swathe of Scotland while pushing closer to northern England.

Conditions are expected to improve across much of Scotland later in the day. By 6pm, the main rain band has shifted away from many areas, although wet weather is shown extending into northern England, including areas around and north of Manchester. By 10pm, much of Britain is forecast to be dry, although the maps indicate some scattered rain lingering across parts of northern England.

Official Forecast and Heat Ahead

The Met Office's forecast for Sunday states: "Rain in the north will drift southeastwards with some heavy spells. Elsewhere, sunny or clear spells and mostly dry, though isolated showers possible in the southeast. Feeling hot once again."

The north-south divide comes as temperatures climb through the weekend ahead of another likely heatwave next week. The Met Office said temperatures could reach 29C or potentially 30C on Saturday before rising into the low 30s across southern and south-eastern England on Sunday.

There is expected to be a brief dip on Monday, with highs of 27C to 29C, before temperatures begin climbing again. Highs of 30C are possible across parts of England and Wales on Tuesday, rising to between 32C and 34C on Wednesday. Temperatures could then reach 36C in parts of East Anglia and south-east England on Thursday.

Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Mike Silverstone said a "fairly widespread heatwave" is likely across large parts of England and Wales, with humidity also expected to increase. He said the heat could make conditions feel "more uncomfortable, particularly overnight". The UK Health Security Agency has issued yellow heat-health alerts for parts of England, highlighting the potential impacts of the hot weather.