Storm Oliver: UK sunshine coming to an end as threat of rain and thunderstorms loom

After a stretch of dry conditions, up to an inch of rain is expected in some areas this weekend as the weather shifts, with the potential for thunderstorms on the horizon. Following Storm Oliver’s impact on the Canary Islands, another system is now likely to affect the UK.

Speaking to GB News, Jason Nicholls, lead international forecaster for AccuWeather, said: “Storm Oliver itself is not expected to come far enough north, but a new low-pressure system should develop over the Bay of Biscay on Friday that could bring some rain and cooler weather to the UK on Saturday night and Sunday.

“The sunshine and warm weather should continue across much of the UK into Saturday, but later in the day and into the night there will be areas of low cloud and fog in eastern areas. In northern Scotland on Friday and going into the weekend, showers are possible, and by Sunday going into Monday, it will feel cooler.”

Sunday is when the weather is expected to shift, with forecasters advising people to enjoy the sun while it lasts. High pressure - which has kept things settled but chilly - will hold through early Saturday before weakening.

Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said: “This weekend, the weather is set to take a bit of a turn with more rain on the cards. There is some showery rain over France, and there is a chance that could clip us, but Saturday looks like it will be a generally dry day.

“Through Sunday there are some showers coming through from the west and some of those could be on the heavy side.”

Some parts of the UK could see up to 25mm of rain, a welcome change for farmers and gardeners after a long dry spell.

He added: “Low pressure is just to the north of the UK, and with that we will have some blustery winds and some heavy rain and that maybe could cause some localised impacts, with 20 to 25mm in some western areas.

“It will be wettest towards the northwest because of the position of the low. But because it has been so dry recently that could be relatively welcome rain for some people.”