The UK’s warm weather will be followed by downpours and cooler temperatures next week, the Met Office has warned.
The sunny spells are expected to make way for cooler days and rainfall, while snow could fall on mountaintops.
The change could come as a relief for some areas of the UK, with firefighters battling large wildfires amid the recent dry weather.
Met Office spokesman Craig Snell said next week will be a ‘mixed bag’.
‘It is going to be a more changeable week this week compared to what we have been used to for the last two to three weeks,’ he said.
‘High pressure has gone away now and we’re just going to be firmly under the influence of low pressure as we go through the week ahead.
‘It’s not going to be a complete washout – we will see some further sunnier moments, but most of the UK will see some rain at some point.
‘Compared to the day-on-day blue skies we had last week it is going to feel very different during the week ahead.’
People walking their dog during a rain shower in Hammersmith, London, this afternoon
Crowds shelter from the rain underneath a pub awning in Hammersmith today
The week ahead is expected to see rainy showers and cooler temperatures. Pictured: A weather map for tomorrow afternoon
Mr Snell said temperatures would start to dip from highs of 18 or 19 degrees on Sunday, which is above average for the time of year.
While southeast England is expected to stay sunny on Monday, with highs of 20 degrees possible, central parts of the UK will be wet and cloudy.
From Tuesday, Mr Snell expects ‘plenty of wet weather’, particularly in England and Wales.
Towards the end of the week and into the long Easter weekend, Mr Snell said it would become a ‘changeable picture’.
‘Some places will see rain, others some sunshine, depending on where you are in the UK on Thursday and Friday one day will be wetter than the other,’ he said.
‘Not cold by any means, but compared to the first week of the Easter holidays, the second week does look like a bit more of a mixed bag across the UK.’
Snow is likely to fall across mountaintops, chiefly in Scotland, but it may drift into the northern Pennines.
Rainfall occurred in London today following a glorious day of sunshine yesterday
People enjoy the warm and sunny weather on Bournemouth Beach on Friday
Beachgoers make the most of the warm weather on Bournemouth Beach this week
People walk outside during a rain shower in Hammersmith earlier today, following a period of sunshine
Met Office spokesman Craig Snell said next week will be a ‘mixed bag’, as some showers have already started
‘We’re talking about the tops of the mountains, at lower levels we’re not going to see anything white falling from the sky,’ Mr Snell said.
‘We’re still climbing our way through spring, to see snow across the mountains of Scotland and England in April is not unusual.’
The change in weather comes after fire chiefs issued a number of wildfire warnings across the UK in recent days.
On Friday, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said fire and rescue services in England and Wales have responded to 380 wildfires so far this year – more than double the number during the same period in 2022, which went on to be a record year.
After a prolonged dry spell, Mr Snell said the rain will be welcome for some, particularly gardeners and farmers.
