UK weather for May Bank holiday 2022: what is the Met Office forecast for May Day weekend?

Another scorcher of a bank holiday weekend looks to be off the cards, but just what weather you experience this upcoming May bank holiday will depend on what part of the UK you live in, according to the Met Office.

On Saturday 30 April, there will be fine and dry weather in London, but a low-pressure system will introduce cloud and outbreaks of rain for much of Scotland and Northern Ireland with some blustery winds in exposed coastal areas.

On Sunday 1 May, the forecast looks set to reverse. The low-pressure system is expected to gradually sink south, meaning their will be cloud and outbreaks of rain in many southern areas of the UK. Across the north, meanwhile, conditions will become brighter and there will be some spells of sunshine.

The weather doesn’t look much better for May Day either. Temperatures could drop to as low as 4C in London next week, and as cold as freezing in Scotland, parts of Belfast and across parts of northern England.

It comes after Easter Sunday saw temperatures reach 19C for some areas.

What has the Met Office said?

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist David Oliver said: “It is a different mix of weather this bank holiday weekend after what has been a largely settled week for the UK.

“The high-pressure that has been dominating the UK in recent days will move away to the south, allowing a low-pressure system to move in from the northwest.

“This will bring with it some more unsettled weather with showers or some longer spells of rain across the north on Saturday and then southern areas on Sunday.

“A good deal of dry weather is expected on Monday with most areas only seeing some isolated showers and mild temperatures, widely in the mid-teens.”

How much will temperatures drop?

Temperatures will start to tumble through the coming days and on Monday 2 May.

The Met Office predicted that the East of the UK will see chiller weather from Thursday night before a dip in temperatures across the South with cloudy conditions expected.

Experts have warned that those in the north of the UK can expect nights as cold as -5C, while those in the south could see temperatures reach as low as -2C.

A night falling below 1.8C at Heathrow would be the coldest May temperature at the airport since 1997, according to the Met Office, the Sun Online reports.

However, some areas may manage to enjoy some sunshine during the bank holiday weekend.

London is forecast to enjoy a few days at 17C, although a northeasterly wind-chill will mean highs of 11C to 16C will feel more like 9C to 14C.