Brits hoping to enjoy a drink outdoors this weekend will have to grab their moment quickly in between heavy showers and even hailstones, warns the Met Office.
With torrential rain and temperatures below normal for the time of year, many will be looking forward to Monday’s return to inside drinking and dining at pubs and restaurants.
The Met Office is warning of floods for the UK with a dismal outlook for Saturday with colder weather meaning there is a chance of thunderstorms and hail.
And much of the rest of May is expected to be a washout with rainstorms forecast for most of next week and beyond.
A Met Office spokesman said: “Areas of rain over central parts pushing north and turning increasingly showers over northern England, Northern Ireland and Scotland during afternoon.
“Across southern UK, heavy showers and isolated thunderstorms with a chance of hail. Rain and drizzle affecting Shetland later.”
There will be some sunny spells, though, this weekend for parts of the country.
The Met forecaster said: “It is not all doom and gloom as is always the case with showers they will be hit and miss and in between the downpours there will be at least some spells of sunshine.”
He continued: “You will have to dodge the downpours but there will be bright or sunny spells coming through particularly around some coasts I suspect but inland the showers could form into bands and so some places will just get shower after shower.”
In the sunny spells temperatures could “rise to the teens, 16C or 17C is possible across the south”.
Looking into next week and it is a similar picture with more rain and cold weather – in keeping with some bookies slashing the odds on this May going down as the wettest on record.
The Met predicts: “Showers for many, heaviest in the central and eastern areas Monday, with hail and thunder.
“Fewer showers for Tuesday and Wednesday, heaviest (maybe thundery) mainly in the south. Remaining cool.”
MET OFFICE OUTLOOK
Today:
Areas of rain over central parts pushing north and turning increasingly showers over northern England, Northern Ireland and Scotland during afternoon. Across southern UK, heavy showers and isolated thunderstorms with a chance of hail. Rain and drizzle affecting Shetland later.
Tonight:
Cloudy with patchy drizzle across Northern Isles. Showers in Northern Ireland and Scotland fading with some clear spells. Rain and showers elsewhere becoming confined to north and west.
Sunday:
Scattered showers and thunderstorms developing nationwide, slow-moving across Wales and central England whilst generally lighter and more isolated across Scotland. Breezy in the far south.
Outlook for Monday to Wednesday:
Showers for many, heaviest in the Central and Eastern areas Monday, with hail and thunder. Fewer showers for Tuesday and Wednesday, heaviest (maybe thundery) mainly in the south. Remaining cool.
