As the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations draw nearer, all eyes are on the weather forecast for the Bank Holiday weekend - but bad news may be on the horizon.
While early predictions were optimistic that next weekend could be the hottest of the year with highs of up to 28C, more recent forecasts have cast doubt on hopes of sunny barbecue weather.
Now the Met Office is warning that the Jubilee forecast is a "loose cannon" and has the potential to be a washout with "heavy rain".
Deputy Chief Meteorologist Chris Bulmer said: "After a fine day for most on Saturday, and some on Sunday, cooler and more unsettled conditions will be quite widely established by Monday.
"After a cool start to the week, temperatures are expected to return back to around average through the week. What we’re keeping an eye on for the latter part of the week is how far north this plume of warm air comes.
"This brings the potential for outbreaks of heavy rain in places.
"There’s still a lot to be determined for the Jubilee Weekend forecast. On balance, it looks like after a showery start, though still fine in places, high-pressure will attempt to build from the west bringing more settled and drier weather, at least for some.”
Meanwhile Met Office forecaster Aidan McGivern added that the forecast for the Bank Holiday weekend remains a “loose cannon”.
“It’s going to meander about fairly randomly, that makes its behaviour difficult to predict," he said.
"Some computer models are suggesting that low will drift our way from the south west for the end of next week to bring widespread showers and outbreaks of rain from the south west.
“Higher pressure towards the north west, lower pressure towards the east but other computer models suggest we keep the higher pressure to the west and lower pressure to the east.”
UK forecast for the next 5 days
Sunshine and showers.
Today:
Some showers at first, particularly in the north across western England and Wales, else a dry start with sunny spells. Showers developing then more widely, with a focus for some heavier ones with risk hail and thunder in the south.
Tonight:
Becoming dry with clear spells in the south, with patchy fog and rural grass frost. Mix of clear spells and scattered showers in the north and west.
Monday:
Sunny spells and scattered showers, some heavy in the north with a risk of thunder during the afternoon. Temperatures near or a little below average.
Outlook for Tuesday to Thursday:
Rather cool with a mixture of sunny spells and showers, some heavy with hail and thunder. Becoming mostly dry with plenty of sunshine and warmer on Thursday.
