Britons will want to pack away their shorts and T-shirts for another week, with forecasters predicting a return to wintry conditions across much of the UK.
Cloud from the west and cold air from the north will combine to bring chilly temperatures and rain across many parts of the country this weekend, with some northern parts likely to endure unseasonal sleet and even snow over higher ground.
Runners in Sunday’s London Marathon will set off to a cold start and are likely to feel a bit of cooling rain – conditions likely to suit them but not the hundreds of thousands of spectators lining the route.
Giving the overall outlook, Alex Burkill, a meteorologist with the Met Office, said: “Temperatures are going to be pretty chilly. We have had some pretty warm days but we’ve got cold air feeding in from the north through the weekend. Colder conditions look set to remain through much of next week.”
The south woke up to a cold start on Friday morning, with a band of rain and some cloud pushing eastwards across southern parts of England and Wales throughout the day and expected highs of just 10C or 12C.
The weather was better in the north, with north Wales and England, Northern Ireland and even southern Scotland enjoying more pleasant temperatures of up to 15C. “Not as warm as yesterday but still feeling good in the sunshine,” Burkill said.
Overnight most areas are expected to stay dry, but calm conditions and often clear skies will bring a chill including frosts for some and wintry showers – including sleet and snow – possible in the far north and east.
Saturday will be largely bright, although showers in the south will again push their way eastwards and could reach northern England. The showers in the north could still be wintry over higher ground, where some could again see sleet or wet snow.
Sunday will bring isolated showers early on, Burkill said. “In the marathon itself it should be falling as rain, but we can’t rule out a bit of sleet over higher ground close to the marathon area – possibly over the Chilterns,” he added. “It will be chilly but otherwise generally fine running conditions, some sunny spells but temperatures chilly.”
From Sunday onwards, conditions will remain chilly, with unseasonably cold northerly airflow bringing a mixture of sunshine and occasional showers, but with a brisk northerly wind.
However, the rain will be more likely to fall in the north, with the south and west expected to be drier and sunnier.
