“Welcome rain” is forecast for a Bank Holiday weekend that will break a 30-day streak of dry days in parts of the UK, the Met Office has said.
Spring has so far been sunny and dry with above average sunshine and temperatures reaching the mid to high 20Cs.
However, rain will push in from the west on Friday night and is forecast to affect the whole country.
Temperatures are dropping to around average but winds could make it feel cooler.
Most places will reach the mid-to-high teens during the weekend and parts of the south-east may get up to around 21C or 22C.
Met Office meteorologist Becky Mitchell said: “This is a wetter end to the final week of spring.”
She added: “The weather has been very dry and settled in recent weeks, some parts of the country haven’t had any rain for about 30 days, so it’s all set to change over the Bank Holiday weekend.
“Perhaps welcome rain for some areas that have been dry for quite a long period of time”.
Clouds will cover much of the UK on Saturday and there will be some heavy showers in a few spots, particularly the north, she said.
Most areas should see around five to 10mm but that could reach 25 to 30mm in western Scotland.
The previous dry weather means there is no risk of flooding.
Another band of heavy rain will move in from the west on Saturday evening and it will clear eastwards on Sunday morning.
There will be scattered showers and sunny spells for most during Sunday day.
Heavy winds are expected to pick up on Saturday night into Sunday too.
There are no weather warnings in force but the winds could reach at 50mph in some northern areas.
They could create “tricky conditions” for campers and others venturing outdoors during the long weekend, Ms Mitchell cautioned.
The meteorologist said: “It will be quite windy Sunday and Monday so probably won’t feel particularly warm but it’s not particularly cold either.”
Ms Mitchell said the changeable weather will last at least a week but there are signs of drier and more settled weather returning after the school half-term that runs until June 2.
The seasonal average temperature is around 15C to 17C in the north and 16C and 18C in the south.
More than 17.9 million road trips are predicted to be made during the long weekend, with 38% of them happening in the first two days, the RAC said.
Aaron Bryan, a mobile mechanic at the breakdown service, said: “Our research shows it really is best to leave as early or late as possible this bank holiday weekend, as the majority of motorists are planning to set off in the morning.”
