Brits can look forward to street parties and barbecues for the King’s Coronation weekend, as forecasters share their optimism for blue skies and sunshine.
Charles is set to be crowned on Saturday May 6 with tens of thousands expected to line the route when he and Queen Consort Camilla make their way to Westminster Abbey.
So far the signs suggest the streets will not be filled with union flag umbrellas as temperatures are set to increase over the weekend.
The news will be welcome to millions of Brits planning on spending the day with their friends, loved ones and neighbours at street parties to celebrate the first coronation in the UK since 1953.
Brian Gaze, forecaster from The Weather Outlook, told the Mirror: “It's still too early to be confident about the weather prospects for the Coronation period, but at the moment there is cause for some optimism.
“It has been a disappointing spring so far and I would be quite surprised if we see really warm weather developing in early May.
“However, computer models are suggesting the possibility of it turning warmer and drier than we've become accustomed to in recent weeks.
“The highest temperatures are likely to be in southern counties with temperatures in the upper teens celsius currently favoured, and a chance of 21C (70F) being reached.
“With festivities taking place over three days it would be surprising if the umbrellas were completely banished in the UK.
“Nonetheless, anything significantly drier and warmer than what we have had recently will be welcomed by most people.
“So at this stage it's still a case of keeping fingers crossed, but hopefully the weather won't put a dampener on the street parties and barbecues.”
Science also seems to agree we could have a sunny coronation.
Dr Stephen Burt, from the University of Reading’s Department of Meteorology, looked back at more than a century to see what the weather has been on May 6 in years gone by.
And it seems to support the hope the sun will be out.
Dr Burt said: “The mean daily maximum temperature on 6 May averages 16.9 °C, a little cooler than the May average as it's early in the month.
“Temperatures on the date have ranged from just 9.2 °C (in 1932) to 25.5 °C (in 1995). The chance of 20 °C is about 1 in 4 (7 times in 30 years).
“On 6 May in 30 years, 7 days had 25% or less cloud cover, and 8 days were completely cloudy.
“Based purely on climatology, we might expect a dry and fairly sunny day that is a little on the cool side. It is important to be clear that this is not a forecast as such – that will have to wait for a little closer to the date itself as weather forecast models have little reliability that far ahead."
WXCHARTS' weather maps have also shown the possibility of warmer European air moving up to the south east of England.
Temperatures are forecast to peak at 23C in counties such as Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk on May 3.
In central London, there will be similarly balmy weather with predictions of 22C expected to last until May 4.
Meanwhile the Met Office said the King’s big moment is still too far away to be certain of clear skies, with conditions set to change in the coming days.
And the organisation denied reports suggesting a heatwave.
A spokesman said: “The Coronation is too far away to say for sure.
“Temperatures are down on average for this time of the year and will feel cool across the UK.
“Towards the middle of the week it could be back to 20C in parts of the south.
“There’s no evidence of a heatwave next week although we could see sunny spells.”
