UK weather forecast: Warm weather until large temperature drop on weekend

Cold air from Arctic will bring sharp end to warm spell

Britain will enjoy sunshine and warmth in many areas today and on Friday, but temperatures are set to drop dramatically over the weekend.

As high pressure brings warm air up from the south, temperatures in the UK will reach around 22C for three consecutive days from Thursday to Saturday.

After a chilly start to Thursday caused by clear skies overnight, the weather will be generally warm and sunny for much of England.

The picture in the west of the UK is not as good, with heavy showers forecast for Northern Ireland and some parts of Wales and western and central England.

On Friday, the start of the bank holiday weekend, the good weather continues for most parts of the UK, except northern Scotland where it will feel chilly.

After a very warm day on Saturday, cold air from the Arctic will push down from the north, spreading across the UK and greatly reducing temperatures.

Some parts of the UK will experience a drop of around 10C, with temperatures not rising above 14C on the day on which the government is expected to give an update on the plan to ease lockdown.

Last month was the sunniest April on record, according to the Met Office.

With an average of 224.5 hours of sunshine, it surpassed the 211.9 hours recorded in April 2015.

Despite the cold end to the month, temperatures were 1.7C above the norm on average, making it the fifth warmest April on record.