UK weather: Mix of sunny spells and heavy rain before temperatures soar

Britons can expect a cool, rainy start to the week ahead before temperatures climb, potentially reaching around 30C in some parts of the country.

Sunday will see a mostly dry, sunny morning, with some cloud developing as the day goes on and a scattering of showers is expected. Conditions will become windy in the far north-west of the country, with more persistent rain to come down later in the day.

Thicker clouds coming in from the south-west will bring outbreaks of rain to much of England, Wales, southern Scotland and Northern Ireland tonight. The rainy conditions will continue well into Monday, with heavy rain expected in the north and west of England, says the Met Office.

The heavy rain will clear towards the east later on Monday, whereas southeastern parts of England and northern Scotland will have intermittent showers throughout the day.

Temperatures will dip slightly as we head into the middle of the week, hovering between 21C and 23C in London until Thursday. The outlook from Tuesday includes sunshine and showers, with some brisk winds in northeast Scotland, but mainly dry throughout the country.

Towards the end of the week, temperatures are likely to become much warmer, hitting highs of 28C to 30C in some parts of the country, including London.

But according to the Met Office, the very warm spell is likely to be “brief”, and there will be “more changeable conditions” throughout early August.