Easter weather: Met Office forecast for bank holiday weekend - will it be sunshine or rain for egg hunts this year?

People planning for the long Easter weekend are turning to the weather forecast - and it is looking hopeful - despite grim forecasts from the bookies, who put the chance of sunshine as a whopping outsider. Forecasters said the end of this week could see a dry patch, meaning egg hunts could take place outside.

Before that, the Met Office said the week would start in a chilly fashion following a “brief incursion of colder air”, before high pressure builds in again, “bringing a drier and quieter spell”. However, the experts warned things remain unpredictable, with the changing between wet, dry and cold showing how “finely balanced the atmosphere is at this time of year”.

“Small shifts in the position of high pressure will make a big difference to who stays dry and who sees rain, particularly across north‑western parts of the UK,” the Met Office said. “By the middle of (this) week and into the first few days of April, high pressure becomes more likely to dominate, particularly towards the south and south west of the UK.”

“This increases the chance of more widely dry weather for a time, with fronts tending to track further north. While this points towards a more settled feel overall, it does not guarantee a significant rise in temperatures. Forecast guidance suggests temperatures are most likely to sit around average, with a continued risk of cooler interludes if winds turn northerly or north‑westerly again.”

People can also expect a “classic early spring mix”, including periods of rain and stronger winds, especially in the north and west, alternating with drier, brighter spells when high pressure builds in. “Temperatures will fluctuate, with cold nights and occasional frosts still possible, particularly before the end of March,” they added, though the start of April - and the approach of the bank holiday - would see “the balance tip slightly towards drier conditions”.

“However, any sustained warmth looks less certain, and changeable conditions remain a key feature of the outlook,” the Met Office forecaster warned.

Odds of a sunny Easter

The outlook comes as the Betway rated the chances of the sun making an appearance over the bank holiday at around just 2%. “Brits are advised to get their umbrellas out this Easter bank holiday as bookies predict the UK is ‘almost definitely’ set for rainfall, with Betway pricing the probability of rain at 1/10,” they said.

“Despite the recent bouts of sunshine across the UK, it’s looking to be short-lived as odds on the sun making an appearance for the holidays is priced at a measly 50/1. However, it looks like the sunny spells may be over as bookies now say the probability of the sun to make an appearance for the bank holiday is next to zero, with Betway pricing the chances at 50/1, which is around 2%.

“The bad news continues as Brits are now advised to bring their umbrellas if they’re planning to be out and about for the long weekend as rain looks almost unavoidable, with odds of 1/10, which equates to around 90% probability.”

Betway Easter weather odds

• Rain: 1/10 - 90%
• Sun: 50/1 - 2%

Betway’s Lewis Knowles said: “What was looking like a glorious start to spring seems set to be over as quick as it started. While many of us were hoping for the sun to follow us into the upcoming bank holiday, the latest odds paint a very different picture, with rain looking almost definite across the weekend. Our advice would be to enjoy the sun while it lasts and make sure to remember your umbrellas if you plan to be out and about for the holidays.”