UK Weather: Bank Holiday weekend to start warm and dry but Monday could be a washout

Met Office warns people in the east of the country to make the most of the weekend because Monday will bring torrential downpours

People walk through St James's Park in central London. Temperatures are likely to remain in the high teens or early 20s (EPA)

Britain is set for glorious and dry Bank Holiday weekend - but heavy downpours could cut any barbeque plans short on Monday.

The Met Office has warned people in the eastern half of Britain to make the best of Saturday and Sunday as a band of “torrential” rain will sweep across the UK from Monday.

A spokesman for the Met Office, Grahame Madge, told The Independent the overall picture looked rosy with “quite a large amount of dry weather across most of Britain. It is going to be dry and bright over most of the country.”

He said on Saturday “there are likely to one or two showers in southern England, below the M4 corridor, and in the north of Scotland, and temperatures will be around the high teens or low 20s”.

But the warned that it was likely to be much cooler on the east coast because of wind blowing in from the North Sea.

On Sunday, it should also remain dry in England, but there may be a few showers in parts of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

That easterly wind will bring in thunderstorms on Monday with the entire eastern half of England “from Suffolk to Newcastle” being covered in rain clouds by midday.

As the day progresses, the rain will sweep further across the UK and by midnight all of England and Wales is likely to see wet weather.

Despite this, Ladbrokes is offering 6/4 odds that there will be somewhere in the UK which is hotter than Spain over the Bank Holiday weekend.

A spokesman told Mirror Online: "The Bank Holiday weekend's going to be a sizzler as far as the odds are concerned.

"It wouldn't surprise us if workers pull a sickie on Tuesday to extend time spent basking in the sunshine."