Mercury set to rise again in time for bank holiday

If THIS week’s downpours have dampened your hopes of a sunny end to the summer, fear not – temperatures are forecast to rise again for the bank holiday weekend.

Cloudy conditions and showers in the next few days will give way to sunshine and warm weather for many just in time for the long weekend.

It means the summer could end as it began, with people flocking to beaches, beer gardens and parks.

from Wednesday onwards, conditions will be ‘more settled with the best of the sunshine in the South East’, the Met Office said.

But it added that the country is likely to be divided, as ‘cooler polar air will characterise the North, with the South experiencing warmer air from the continent’.

Around the bank holiday a ‘period, fine, dry weather is likely to prevail for many’ with ‘ plenty of sunshine, and temperatures generally warm or locally very warm’.

But forecasters said the mercury would not reach the record heights seen in July, when 40.3C was recorded in Lincolnshire, and is only likely to peak in the mid-twenties.

Adam Thornhill, Met Office deputy chief meteorologist, said: ‘While high pressure often brings fine and dry weather at this time of the year, with this system likely building to the west of the UK, cooler air is forecast to be bought southwards across the country from the North.

‘Combine this with daylight hours shortening as we move towards September, and temperatures are unlikely to reach the same level as we have seen at times earlier this summer.’

The Met Office long-term forecast also predicted more changeable weather in early September after a settled August, but that it is likely to stay warm.