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Thursday starts with outbreaks of rain in the south east and showers in the north west. The rain continues to affect the south east and East Anglia for much of the day but in the afternoon it could turn drier near to the south coast. The heaviest bursts are expected to be to the east of London, but the wet weather may push into the Chilterns and the East Midlands at times. Elsewhere there will be sunny intervals and showers, with the heaviest of them in the west. 

Temperatures range from 15C (59F) in western Scotland to 21C (70F) in central England. See the rain and lightning radar for the latest view

KNMI Hirlam, forecast rain, 16:00 BST Thu 9th August

Forecast short cuts

The month ahead - August

Winter 2018/19 weather

Tonight the remnants of the wet weather clear away from east England. Elsewhere showers become scattered and clear spells form. It will be quite cool. 

Tomorrow brings a mix of sunshine and showers. The showers spread eastwards through the day and at times they become  heavy and thundery. It stays quite cool but in sunny spells temperatures could reach 23C (73F) in the south east.

KNMI Hirlam, forecast rain, 12:00 BST Fri 10th August

Changeable outlook

During the weekend a deep area of low pressure pushes in from the Atlantic and keeps the weather unsettled. On Saturday outbreaks of heavy rain spread northeastwards but south eastern England and northern Scotland may remain dry for much of the day. It will generally be cool, but in the south east may be quite warm and humid if the cloud holds back to the west and sunny spells develop.

Overnight and during Sunday the rain pushes southeastwards but its progress could be quite erratic. East Anglia and the south east could be dry for much of the day and if sunny spells develop temperatures will rapidly rise, perhaps into the upper 20Cs. Brighter and showery conditions gradually return to northern and western counties. 

Next week probably begins quite changeable. Showers or longer spells of rain are possible at times, particularly in the north and west. There should also be drier and warmer periods with the best of them in the south and east. During the middle of the week high pressure probably begins to have more influence in the southern half of the UK so the chance of fine and warm spells increases, but the north remains more changeable.

GFS, forecast pressure and precipitation, 16:00 BST Wed 15th August

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