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Friday starts with showers in the north west of the UK but elsewhere it is dry and bright. This morning the showers become heavy in the west and north west, and during the afternoon they spread southeastwards. Most of the country is likely to see some rain, but a few places could stay dry with sunny spells. A strong west or northwesterly wind makes it feel chilly.

Maximum temperatures range from 12C (54F) in the north west to 18C (64F) in the south east. See the rain and lightning radar for the latest view

Meteo France Arpege, forecast rain, 16:00 BST Fri 24th August

Forecast short cuts

The month ahead - August

Winter 2018/19 weather

Tonight the showers retreat back to coastal counties and it becomes dry inland. Under clearing skies temperatures dip quickly and in sheltered parts of the north there could be a touch of ground frost by the morning.

Bank holiday weekend

Tomorrow there will be sunny spells but scattered showers pop up, especially in central and eastern counties during the afternoon. However, many places should miss them and remain dry. It will be cool so be prepared if you are planning a barbecue that runs into the evening. Through the night cloud thickens from the west and outbreaks of rain push into Northern Ireland and possibly western Britain.

During Sunday wet and windy weather spreads eastwards. In exposed parts of the west and near to the south coast winds could gust to gale force. Some heavy bursts of rain are likely but they should clear from western and central areas in the afternoon. There is uncertainty about the timing so keep an eye on the place and postcode forecasts for the latest view.

CMC GEM, forecast rain, 13:00 BST Sun 26th August

Bank Holiday Monday is looking reasonable. Scattered showers develop but many places stay dry and bright. Temperatures will be a little higher than in recent days and in the south top values approach 22C (72F).

Close to average next week

The rest of the week probably brings fairly typical weather for late August and early September. Tuesday is looking dry and warm, especially in the south. On Wednesday rain is followed by cooler conditions but the rest of the week should often be dry in southern Britain. In the north disturbances moving in from the Atlantic keep it more mixed and there is a greater risk of rain.

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Meteo France Arpege forecast charts

Global Forecast System (GFS) forecast charts

16 day GEFS ensembles at a glance

A mixed outlook is shown. During the rest of August rain is showing affecting all regions at times. The trend in early September is for drier and somewhat warmer weather. View latest GEFS.