Weekend weather forecast with North East set to bask in 23°C heat on Saturday

The North East finally has some summer-worthy weather in store this weekend with temperatures set to hit balmy highs of 23°C on Saturday.

According to the latest forecast from the Met Office, May 11 will be "generally dry with sunny spells", making it the perfect day to get out and enjoy the May weather, although areas of low cloud and fog may persist along the coast and isolated heavy showers could develop across the Pennines in the afternoon. Sunday is also expected to be "very warm" once again - but these two days are the time to make the most of your sunglasses and ice creams, before thundery showers develop towards the end of the weekend.

Monday (May 13) and Tuesday (May 14) are forecast to be cooler, accompanied by showers or spells or rain across the region. Unfortunately, there's more of the same in store for the remaining half of the month, the Met Office said, with low pressure expected to be dominant across the UK and bringing "widely unsettled" conditions.

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Forecasters said of the coming week: "Most areas will be affected by showers, which could in a few places be heavy, slow-moving, with thunder and possibly hail, or even longer spells of rain at first. Winds will mostly be light, and temperatures around to a little above average for the time of year."

Heading into next weekend and beyond, the weather is more likely to turn a little less unsettled, with a greater chance of longer drier interludes between further rain or showers. Temperatures overall are most likely to be "a little above average", according to the forecast, but chances of any prolonged settled, dry or hot weather are "lower than normal".

Looking ahead to the start of June, yet more unsettled periods with rain or showers are expected, although the chance of hot spells, while still "very small", is "slightly higher" than normal. Before then, here's what the weather looks like in Newcastle over the next two days.

Hour-by-hour forecast for Saturday, May 11 in Newcastle

• 6am: 13°C / Sunny / <5% chance of precipitation
  

• 7am: 14°C / Sunny / <5% chance of precipitation
  

• 8am: 15°C / Sunny / <5% chance of precipitation
  

• 9am: 16°C / Sunny / <5% chance of precipitation
  

• 10am: 17°C / Sunny / <5% chance of precipitation
  

• 11am: 18°C / Sunny / <5% chance of precipitation
  

• 12pm: 19°C / Sunny / <5% chance of precipitation
  

• 1pm: 20°C / Sunny / <5% chance of precipitation
  

• 2pm: 20°C / Sunny / <5% chance of precipitation
  

• 3pm: 20°C / Sunny intervals / <5% chance of precipitation
  

• 4pm: 19°C / Sunny intervals / <5% chance of precipitation
  

• 5pm: 19°C / Sunny intervals / <5% chance of precipitation
  

• 6pm: 18°C / Sunny intervals / <5% chance of precipitation
  

• 7pm: 17°C / Cloudy / <5% chance of precipitation
  

• 8pm: 16°C / Sunny intervals / <5% chance of precipitation
  

• 9pm: 15°C / Partly cloudy / <5% chance of precipitation
  

• 10pm: 14°C / Cloudy / <5% chance of precipitation
  

• 11pm: 14°C / Partly cloudy / <5% chance of precipitation
  

Three-hour forecast for Sunday, May 12 in Newcastle

• 7am: 11°C / Cloudy / <5% chance of precipitation

• 10am: 14°C / Cloudy / <5% chance of precipitation

• 1pm: 15°C / Cloudy / <5% chance of precipitation

• 4pm: 15°C / Cloudy / <5% chance of precipitation

• 7pm: 13°C / Cloudy / 10% chance of precipitation

• 10pm: 12°C / Cloudy / 10% chance of precipitation