The Met Office weather forecast confirms that the recent dry, sunny and warm weather across much of the UK will come to an end at the weekend.
Temperatures this week have been well above April averages. Thursday was the warmest day this year in Scotland and Northern Ireland, with 23°C recorded in Aboyne and 22°C in Castlederg. By Friday, the warmth had spread further south, with temperatures reaching 22.4°C in Usk (Monmouthshire, Wales), equalling the highest temperature of 2025.
Many areas also saw large temperature swings between day and night. In Aboyne on Thursday, the difference was 26 °C, a phenomenon known as diurnal variation. While large swings are not unusual for spring, the prolonged dry and sunny period was noticeable. In parts of southern England, there had been no significant rainfall since March 23.
The first ten days of April have been particularly sunny, with most places seeing over 100 hours of sunshine. Some areas have already received around 80-85% of the monthly average sunshine.
High pressure systems dominate the UK weather, according to the Met Office weather update. These systems have blocked the usual Atlantic weather fronts, pushing the jet stream further north and keeping dry conditions stable. Meanwhile, stormy weather has settled in the Canaries and Iberia, with Storm Nuria and Storm Olivier bringing heavy rain and record winds earlier this month.
Weekend weather forecast
The Met Office weather forecast shows that high pressure will shift east this weekend, allowing low pressure and weather fronts to move in from the west.
By Saturday morning, cloud and rain will start to reach the south-west of England. Rain will spread to Wales, Northern Ireland and north-west England during the day. While the south-east will enjoy the last rays of sunshine and temperatures could reach 22°C, western areas will become more cloudy.
Rain will continue to move eastwards overnight and into Sunday. On Sunday, a combination of sunshine, showers and cloudiness is expected and temperatures will range from 11°C to 18°C.
Although precipitation will generally be light and scrappy, the weekend will mark a transition to more typical April weather with cloudy skies, southwesterly winds and much-needed rain for the dry land.
