Brief break from rain as sunshine returns for weekend

This weekend will bring a break from rain as sunshine returns for much of the UK. Bright and sunny weather is expected to blanket the country, with daytime temperatures feeling pleasantly warm, though still far from the record heat experienced earlier in the month. Nights will be mostly clear, resulting in a significant contrast between morning lows and afternoon highs.

Saturday will start off bright and fresh, with rural areas experiencing cooler morning temperatures around 3C, while some cities may see highs of only 6-9C. Such temperatures are not uncommon for the end of August, a month that typically brings larger temperature swings compared to just a month ago. Despite the cooler mornings, afternoon highs in northern areas are forecast to reach 18C, while central and southern regions will warm up to the low 20s - near the average for late August.

The weather will remain dry, save for a few isolated showers in the Scottish Highlands, where additional cloud may form. Light winds are anticipated on Sunday morning, after another brisk start, with bright or sunny skies prevailing. Afternoon temperatures are expected to be warmer, with scattered fair-weather cloud across southern and central parts of the country, and slightly more cloud in northern England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Southern areas will see higher temperatures, peaking in the mid-20s Celsius in cities like Southampton, Reading, and London.

Although the strong high pressure will dominate the weekend, it is not expected to persist for long. Signs suggest the high pressure will move eastward as early as the start of next week, allowing low pressure to move in and bring much-needed rain. This showery low pressure is expected to approach southern and southwestern Britain from Monday night, potentially reaching the Channel coast from Cornwall to Kent as it drifts out of France.

While the extent of the showers remains uncertain, some could impact Cornwall to Kent before spreading further north into Tuesday. More substantial rain is likely from midweek onward, with deeper low pressure systems developing closer to the UK.

While predicting exact rainfall amounts is challenging, western areas will likely receive the most, with upland regions potentially seeing 30-40mm by the end of next week, while eastern Britain could receive about half of that. Stay updated with local conditions via the BBC Weather website and app.