The Met Office has revealed when parts of the UK will be battered by heavy downpours as it shared its latest weather forecast. This comes as the country has been battling with unprecedented heatwaves, with temperatures soaring above 35C in May, June and July.
Dry conditions across Wales and England
Much of Wales has experienced exceptionally dry conditions, with most areas receiving less than 25mm (1 inch) of rainfall since mid-June. The situation has been particularly severe in the north-east, where Rhyl in Denbighshire recorded just 3mm of rain during that period.
Dry weather has also dominated across England, where most regions have seen less than 10mm of rainfall since June 15, with large parts of central and southern England receiving just 3mm of rain or less. Wisley in Surrey has gone 36 consecutive days without any rainfall, raising concerns about water shortages, stressed vegetation, and an increased risk of wildfires.
Changeable weather on the way
However, the Met Office said there are "increasing signs of more changeable weather developing over the weekend and into next week", with rainfall expected to become more widespread than it has been recently, while temperatures are set to ease back closer to average for many areas.
The forecaster said: "The most notable change arrives during the weekend as a frontal system gradually pushes south-eastwards across the UK."
"Northern and western parts are expected to see the first impact, with cloudier skies, outbreaks of rain and a noticeable drop in temperature."
"Southern areas may hold onto the warmer conditions a little longer, with temperatures in the southeast potentially reaching the high 20s on Saturday. However, rain is expected to spread south and east through Saturday night and into Sunday."
"Sunday currently appears the most unsettled day of the weekend. While there remains uncertainty over the exact position and intensity of the rainfall, many areas are likely to experience showers or longer spells of rain, with the possibility of some heavier outbreaks developing in places. Forecast details will become clearer over the coming days."
Netweather senior forecaster's outlook
Netweather senior forecaster Nick Finnis wrote in his latest blog: "High pressure looks to retreat to the southwest on Saturday, allowing a series of frontal systems to slide southeast across the UK and Ireland, bringing areas of showers or longer spells of rain southeast over the weekend, rainfall amounts greatest across the northwest."
"Perhaps still very warm towards the southeast on Saturday - where it will be sunniest longest, temperatures more average for all on Sunday - as the wind turns northwesterly."
"Temperatures reaching the low 20s in the south, mid-to-high teens in the north Sunday."
