Britain set for highs of 27C this weekend as jet stream pushes rain northwards

Higher pressure over the southern half of England and Wales will keep conditions largely dry, while low-pressure systems sweeping in from the Atlantic deliver persistent rainfall to northern and western parts of the country.

The split in conditions comes as drought and hosepipe bans remain in force across parts of southern England, where a prolonged lack of meaningful rain has left the ground parched.

The jet stream, which sat south of the UK at the end of last week, is now tracking northward over the country, dragging the belt of unsettled weather with it.

This repositioning means Atlantic low-pressure systems and their associated fronts will pass well to the north of where they were over the previous weekend.

The consequence is a stark geographical divide: southern England and East Anglia can expect little more than patchy drizzle or light rain on Wednesday and Thursday, followed by a brief spell of precipitation on Friday as a weakening cold front clears to the south-east.

By the weekend, conditions across the south should be predominantly dry. Further north, however, it will be a markedly different story, with wet and at times windy weather persisting.

Southern areas are set to bask in sun this weekend

PA

Cambridgeshire is forecast to be the hottest spot on Sunday, September 6, with the mercury potentially touching 27C and neighbouring counties not far behind at 26C.

London is also expected to reach 27C by late afternoon, closely followed by Peterborough at 26C.

The warmth will extend well beyond the south-east, with Manchester, Birmingham, Swindon and Lincoln all forecast to hit 25C on Sunday. Even typically cooler cities such as Newcastle and York could see highs of 23C.

Wales may reach 24C in places, while parts of North Yorkshire could see 23C.

Beschgoers have been enjoying the heat at Porthminster Beach in St Ives, Cornwall

PA

Thursday will offer a taste of the weekend heat, with London predicted to hit 26C by 5pm, with Exeter reaching 25C, while Peterborough, Norwich and Southampton are each expected to see 24C.

Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said southern areas would "enjoy a few hours of sunny spells" before conditions change further north.

Northern and western regions face a far wetter picture, with 20 to 40mm of rainfall expected widely and significantly heavier totals possible in exposed areas.

North Wales, Cumbria and western Scotland could see accumulations of 60 to 80mm through the week and into the weekend.

Parts of Scotland are set to see heavy downpours

PA

On Thursday alone, 33 counties across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are braced for heavy and persistent downpours.

Up to 32mm per hour could fall over north-west Scotland, with the most intense bursts concentrated over the Lake District and the North Pennines.

Mr McGivern said: "In the north, showers, but across Northern Ireland, central and southern Scotland, north-west England, another spell of wet weather arrives, again heavy and persistent."

The rain is expected to spread into North Wales and across northern England through Thursday evening and overnight.

Temperatures are set to soar this Sunday

MET OFFICE

Signs suggest the jet stream will drift southward again early next week, allowing Atlantic low-pressure systems to track on a more southerly path.

This would bring a greater chance of meaningful rainfall to parched southern areas, along with a shift to north-westerly or northerly winds and cooler days and nights.

Further ahead, forecasters see the possibility of high pressure building from the Atlantic around mid-September, potentially ushering in a drier, more settled spell with above-average temperatures lasting a week or longer.

The Met Office's long-range outlook for September 6 - 15 cautions that conditions will remain broadly unsettled, with showers or prolonged rain affecting many areas.