The Met Office has issued its verdict on whether rain will fall on Friday. There is wet weather on the way, the national weather forecaster said, however it is expected to remain largely confined to northwestern Scotland, while much of England and Wales stays dry.
The forecaster said today many parts of the UK are in for a bright end to the working week, with sunshine expected across much of England and Wales, which are in the grip of a drought, although cloudier skies and outbreaks of rain are set to persist further north.
Forecast for Friday
In its forecast for Friday, the Met Office said this afternoon: "A dry and sunny day for much of England and Wales. Cloudier skies across Scotland and Northern Ireland at times, with further rain across northwest Scotland. Warm in the sunshine."
Forecast maps generated by the Met Office today show the wettest conditions remaining focused on the far north and west of Scotland throughout the day.
Rain expected in Scotland
By around 8am, rain is expected across parts of the Western Isles, the northwest Highlands and Shetland, while England, Wales and much of Northern Ireland appear dry.
Little changes by midday, with outbreaks of rain continuing across northwest Scotland but much of the rest of the UK remaining free from wet weather, the maps suggest.
Into the afternoon, showers continue to affect northern and western Scotland, while England and Wales are forecast to stay largely dry, the maps show, in line with the Met Office's prediction of sunny conditions for many.
By early evening, the rain is still largely confined to northern Scotland in the maps, with most of England, Wales and Northern Ireland remaining dry.
Later in the night, forecast maps show another band of rain approaching the Western Isles from the Atlantic while the rest of Britain continues to escape the worst of the wet weather.
Met Office statement
In a post on X, the Met Office said: "Early mist and fog will soon clear, leaving a largely dry day with sunny spells for many. Rain lingers across northwest Scotland, while the odd shower may pop up in western parts. A chilly start but soon feeling warm and pleasant in the sunshine."
The latest outlook follows more unsettled conditions in some parts of the country and suggests Friday will bring a more settled spell for many ahead of the weekend.
Weekend outlook
Looking beyond Friday, the Met Office has forecast a wetter start to the weekend in some areas. Rain is expected to affect 40 counties across England and Scotland on Saturday, while the official outlook for Saturday to Monday states: "Rain across northern Scotland through the weekend. Warm and sunny elsewhere. Turning hot in the south. Dry for most on Monday with temperatures on the very warm to hot side."
