Showers to dampen hopes of heatwave

SCOTS may have to look on in envy as the south of the UK enjoys a fine end to the weekend today.

After a fine day north of the Border yesterday, showers are due to arrive over Scotland this afternoon, signalling unsettled conditions stretching into next week.

Warm air from the south will bring above-average temperatures to most places in the UK over the next week, but a series of low-pressure systems will also break up any suggestion of a heatwave with showers and unsettled weather.

In recent days, the Met Office computer models have been indicating some uncertainty over the interaction between continental high pressure – bringing warm and settled conditions – and low-pressure systems over the Atlantic which will bring wet and breezy weather to Scotland. But it looks likely that the low pressure will increasingly dominate.

This means the plume of warm air will be interrupted by weather fronts, bringing showers that may at times be heavy or thundery. However, parts of the south-east of England could reach the mid-tohigh 20s Celsius by Tuesday.

Met Office chief meteorologist Andy Page said: ‘The plume of warm air we have been expecting will bring higher temperatures across the whole country over the next week. However, it looks like the effects from the Atlantic lows will prevent sustained high pressure building from the east.

‘This means that while we might see some warm – and in places very warm – days, overall the next week will feel more like what we would expect of a warm spell in May, with some heavy showers around, rather than hot summery weather.’