Rain expected following driest spring in 100 years
21st May 2025
Farmers across the UK should expect rain following the driest spring months in over a century, the Met Office has confirmed.
The Met Office said that there is potential for more organised rain or showers across parts of southern England and Wales today, 21st May. Odd thunderstorms are also possible. Other areas will continue to experience predominantly fine weather.
Thursday and Friday, 22nd and 23rd May, are set to bring plenty of sunshine, particularly in western areas, while eastern regions remain cloudier. Temperatures will reach the high teens to low 20 degrees Celsius during daytime hours, although eastern coastal areas will remain chilly.
The UK may have some unseasonably cold nights on Thursday and Friday, with some isolated frost possible, Met Office experts said.
Scattered showers in the south may be heavy at times this afternoon, even bringing the odd rumble of thunder ⛈️
— Met Office (@metoffice) May 21, 2025
Brighter and sunnier elsewhere, and feeling warm away from the North Sea coast where a cool onshore northerly breeze will persist 🌬️ pic.twitter.com/KDYyZfgFbA
The bank holiday weekend sees a marked change in weather type, as deputy chief meteorologist Mark Sidaway explains: “The high pressure that has been around for the last few weeks will slowly lose its grip on the UK this week, bringing a change to more unsettled conditions with many areas seeing rain or showers, ending the prolonged dry spell.
“The change comes this weekend, with weather systems moving in from the Atlantic, arriving from the west probably later on Friday and through Saturday. They will bring with them spells of rain, which may be heavy at times, with a risk of strong winds in places. These conditions will gradually spread across the UK on Saturday, with Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday likely seeing sunshine and showers.
“So, whilst the bank holiday won’t be a complete washout, with some sunshine expected, this weekend represents a notable shift from the fine and settled weather pattern that has dominated so far this month.”
READ MORE: Farmers urged to plan ahead as UK experiences driest spring in over a century
Exceptionally dry and sunny spring so far
Next week conditions are likely to remain unsettled, with rain, wind and around-average temperatures in the forecast.
The Met Office said that spring 2025 so far has been exceptionally dry and sunny, with records looking set to be broken.
The UK had already recorded more sunshine hours so far this spring than it did for the whole of meteorological summer last year, according to provisional Met Office statistics. But with unsettled conditions in the forecast and still almost two weeks of May to go, there is still plenty of time for things to change.
READ MORE: Nature Friendly Farming Week launches as UK confronts record drought and rising threats
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