UK weather: sunny spells to dominate this weekend before 35C ‘African plume’, Met Office says

The UK is set to bask in warm, sunny weather this weekend before temperatures are expected to rocket to 35C highs as an ‘African plume’ is forecast for the end of May.

Warm air is forecast to sweep across the country as a high pressure weather system rolls in, replacing the unsettled, wet conditions of the last few weeks.

The Met Office said it will be largely dry across Scotland on Friday (19 May), while England and north Wales can expect to see a scattering of rain. Showers should ease towards the end of the day with temperatures between 14 and 16C expected.

Dry and sunny weather is forecast for across Saturday (20 May) and Sunday (21 May), with temperatures expected to reach as high as 19C in southeast and northwest England.

Conditions in Scotland and Northern Ireland this weekend are a little gloomier than England, with cloudy skies and patchy rain set to move southeastwards.

Further cloud and patchy rain will continue into Sunday, but sunny spells are expected in England and Wales. Heading into next week, there should be sunshine for all of the UK and temperatures are likely to remain warm.

But the outlook is looking even more promising for the rest of the month, with the national forecaster predicting that the UK will see an extreme weather front dubbed the ‘African plume’ by the end of May, with temperatures up to 35C.

The Met Office’s long-range forecast from Tuesday 23 May to Thursday 1 June says high pressure “will dominate” over much of the UK and conditions should be “settled” for most.

The forecaster said: “High pressure will dominate over most of the UK through the first half of this period, with settled conditions for most of the country.

“Exceptions to these settled conditions could develop in the northwest and the southeast, where there may be outbreaks of rain and drizzle at times. Winds will be light across the majority of areas but could be stronger at times in the far northwest and southeast.

“During the second half of this period, high pressure is expected to continue to lie across much of the UK. This is likely to extend over the southwest and northeast of the country bringing a return to more settled weather. This will bring a good deal of fine and dry weather for the majority of areas.”

Heading into early June, the Met Office says “largely fine” conditions should continue, particularly in central and northern parts of the UK. But further south, especially southeast England, there is an increased risk of rain.

Temperatures are expected to remain “a little above normal”, and in the far southeast of England conditions may be “closer to average”.