Wet bank holiday weather to end record-breaking dry spring
Wet weather across the bank holiday weekend is expected to end what has been a record-breaking start to spring.
While Sunday and Monday will not be a complete washout, the Met Office said unsettled weather is expected to disrupt a warmer-than-average May.
England had its driest start to spring in March and April since 1956, with half the expected rainfall in April and only a quarter of the long-term average in March, Met Office figures show.
According to the forecaster, until Friday night, Leuchars in Fife went 34 days without rain, while people in Bradford, West Yorkshire, did not see rain for 31 days.
Sunday promises a day of sunshine and showers 🌦️ pic.twitter.com/bGZdoNjnKv
— Met Office (@metoffice) May 24, 2025
'It's been very dry but it will change to something more unsettled on Sunday morning,' meteorologist Zoe Hatton said.
'Across the north of the countryside of Scotland is likely to be wet and quite miserable initially.
'A band of rain will be moving eastwards overnight lingering in the far north of Scotland. Elsewhere it's not going to be widely wet.
'There's going to be low cloud in places which could produce outbreaks of rain across the Pennines and across higher ground in the south of England, but the main focus will really be northern Scotland.
'As the day moves on that band of rain will move eastwards and we're going to see showers arriving from the west.
Smelled something different today? 🤔
After a long dry spell you may have noticed the 'petrichor' aka the smell of rain ☔
You can find out more here: https://t.co/fBmAKdVaVs
— Met Office (@metoffice) May 24, 2025
'The most likely places affected will be Northern Ireland, Scotland and the north of England, and some quite frequent blustery showers across parts of the country, but drier further south.'
Temperatures on Sunday are expected to peak at about 15C in Scotland, with highs of 21C to 22C in the south of England.
'As we go into bank holiday Monday we're expecting things to stay fairly similar, with showers arriving from the west heaviest and most frequent across the north and west of the country, in Scotland and Northern Ireland,' Ms Hatton said.
'It's not a complete washout, there will be drier, brighter interludes. It shouldn't feel particularly cold as we go into the new working week.
'Temperatures are expected to start rising by the end of the week, so perhaps feeling a little bit warmer in the sunshine from Friday onwards.'
Forecasters are warning that heavy winds on Saturday night into Sunday could create difficult conditions for campers over the long weekend.
There are no weather warnings in force but the winds could reach 50mph in some northern areas.
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