UK weather 'dry and mild' for coronation weekend - how has it been in previous years?

The UK is set for "dry and mild" weather during the coronation bank holiday weekend.

With Big Lunches, street parties and celebrations set across the country, the Met Office has said people can expect "fairly settled conditions".

Met Office press officer Grahame Madge said: "The remaining period, which is really the period I think that we're focusing on, brings fairly settled conditions, pushing in from the southwest with plenty of dry and mild weather across the UK."

"Temperatures (will be) generally near or slightly above average, with maximums expected in the high teens in the south of England," he added.

However, British weather is known to be notoriously unpredictable at the best of times and so, it can be difficult to predict the weather too far in advance.

Mr Madge said this was a "very generic forecast for the UK," and added that some areas of the country will be cooler than others.

"Above average temperatures is a reference to UK as a whole," he said.

"That doesn't exclude the possibility of some areas being warmer or cooler, because obviously there are many parts that make up the average."

When Queen Elizabeth II was crowned on 2 June 1953, there was a great deal of rain. But that didn't stop people from enjoying themselves.

The King will be crowned at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6 May with millions of people expected to head to London for the coronation.

Here Sky News takes a look back at the weather on the first weekend of May - which is when the coronation is - over the last 10 years in London, as provided by the Met Office.

Does the pattern suggest a dry day out or a washout?

2011

7th and 8th May
Highs of 23.9C
Lows of 13.7C
Max Rainfall in mm: 8.4

2012

5th and 6th May
Highs of 10.5C
Lows of 5.2C
Max rainfall in mm: 0.2

2013

4th and 5th May
Highs of 18.7C
Lows of 5.4C
Max rainfall in mm: 1

2014

3rd and 4th May
Highs of 19.4C
Lows of 2.6C
Max rainfall in mm: 8.2

2015

2nd and 3rd May
Highs of 20.3C
Lows of 9.1C
Max rainfall in mm: 0.2

2016

7th and 8th May
Highs of 26.8C
Lows of 11C
Max rainfall in mm: 0

2017

6th and 7th May
Highs of 18.7C
Lows of 7.6C
Max rainfall in mm: 0

2018

5th and 6th May
Highs of 26.3C
Lows of 6C
Max rainfall in mm: 0

2019

4th and 5th May
Highs of 12.7C
Lows of 1.4C
Max rainfall in mm: 0

2020

2nd and 3rd May
Highs of 15.5C
Lows of 6C
Max rainfall in mm: 0.2

2021

1st and 2nd May
Highs of 12C
Lows of 2C
Rainfall data not provided

2022

7th and 8th May
Highs of 20.6C
Lows of 9.6C
Max rainfall in mm: 0

Looking at those rainfall figures, the chances of a dry weekend are looking good.

But the temperatures are all over the place.

So in summary, hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

There will, of course, be fairly accurate weather predictions the closer we get to the big day, and you can check the five-day forecast where you are by putting your postcode into our weather checker here.

Read more:
The ultimate guide to the King's coronation
King makes front row seat offer
What the crowns, orbs and swords mean
Coronation route and royal coaches in detail
What are the rules for hosting a street party?

What events will take place during the coronation weekend?

• Saturday 6 May - Coronation Day

• 6-8 May - The Big Lunch across the country and the Commonwealth

• Sunday 7 May - The Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle

• Monday 8 May - Bank Holiday across the nation and The Big Help Out, which encourages people to try volunteering in their local area.

Want to tune into the big event?

Sky News will kick off its coronation day coverage at 6am on Saturday 6 May.

This is free to watch via Freeview channel 233, Sky channel 501, Virgin 603 and BT 313.

Viewers can also stream for free on the Sky News website or app and on the Sky News YouTube channel.