Warmer days on way...but first -4ºC
MORE rain misery is sweeping in but, at last, sunshine could finally be on the horizon.
Today starts chilly as the west and north endure patchy frost while temperatures are set to plunge as low as -4C in the Scottish Highlands.
And despite it becoming mostly dry and bright, light showers will dampen the mood in the west of England with an unseasonable cold breeze.
Overnight into tomorrow, and into the weekend, the weather will be more unsettled with longer spells of rain.
Downpours
London, Southampton and Cardiff look likely to bear the brunt of the rainfall at first before heavy downpours soak the Midlands and northern parts of England on Sunday.
But from next week and towards the early May Bank Holiday, the gloom is finally replaced with some muchneeded sunshine and heat.
BBC Weather’s forecast for April 29 to May 5 states: “Temperatures are likely to be around average at first, with calmer and drier conditions expected in the North and North West, while the South could become somewhat wetter and windier. Temperatures may rise above average later.”
The mercury is even forecast to soar into the high 20s, with it starting to get warmer from the end of this week onwards.
Despite the April showers, BBC forecaster Simon King says the first half of the month has been warmer than average.
He said: “According to the longest running set of weather records in the world – the Central England Temperature – the maximum temperature has been 2.5C above the average.
“We perhaps have not noticed the lack of cold and frosty nights compared with how it has felt at times during the day.
“Between the colder feeling days we must not also forget we have had the odd warmer moment too.
“Into next week and the start of May we might see temperatures come up to around the average of 13-17C.
“Later in the week, they may actually creep to above average,” he predicted.