A fairly pleasant weekend ahead, with some sunshine and some warmth. Not so, either side of the weekend.

Thanks to Matthew for the photograph – I did have a few stunning storm cloud photographs sent to me, but will wait for the showers to return (they will) before using them – plus Facebook isn’t playing ball and letting me download them for some reason.

So we’ve changed to an easterly flow, with low pressure fairly close to our south driving cloud our way for today.

So, cloudy. A band of rain will push west for a couple of hours from roughly late morning, though not likely amounting to much rain. A little sunshine possible at times in the morning and late afternoon. Cooler in the breeze, 13’C. Staying cloudy overnight, a small chance of a brief shower in the evening, otherwise dry, down to around 9’C.

Saturday starts cloudy, but it will break up during the morning to leave a pleasant, mostly sunny day with just a bit of fair-weather cloud. Fairly warm though the breeze taking the edge off, reaching around 19’C. Clear spells overnight, at least to start, but some patches of mist/fog/low cloud developing later in the night. Down to around 6’C.

Sunday starts cloudy for most, perhaps a few patches of mist/fog if you are up early enough. This all lifts to spells of sunshine, though more in the way of high cloud than on Saturday, which will gradually make things hazier. One or two scattered showers possible by late afternoon, as a weather front encroaches from the north-west. Fairly warm, 20’C. Mostly cloudy overnight with bits and pieces of showery rain – no lower than around 10’C.

All change for Monday as the overnight weather front brings in a cooler northerly flow.

Fairly cloudy with showers or longer spells of rain all day. A bit of brightness possible at times, and temperatures somewhere between 11’C and 14’C, depending on how much brightness, though feeling cool in the northerly breeze. Uncertain overnight, though more likely dry or mostly so, and possibly chilly.

Tuesday is more likely dry and on the cloudier side of the spectrum, though whether that means dull and cloudy all day, or fairly cloudy with some sunshine is unknown. Temperatures most likely on the cool side, say 12’C – though again some uncertainty and a few degree more (assuming some sunshine) is plausible. Likely chilly overnight.

High pressure probably then starts to build over the UK – so Wednesday looks dry, though again probably on the cloudier side of the spectrum, with some sunshine, and likely still on the cool side, say 13’C to 15’C. A chilly night likely – perhaps even a ground frost in more sheltered spots.

Thursday again looks dry, though the easterly breeze means temperatures won’t be anything special – 14’C to 16’C kind of range. Some sunshine, by this point probably on the sunnier side of the spectrum.

Friday more likely dry with some sunshine – uncertain on cloud amounts. A broader range of temperatures possible, anywhere from 12’C to 20’C, though I’d favour somewhere in the upper portion at this stage.

The more likely broad picture for next weekend sees high pressure to our north with the easterly flow continuing. Whether that leads to cloud, drizzle and coolness or sunshine and warmth, or some variable mixture, is too early to say.

I think (and have thought for a long time) that the rest of May will be dominated by high pressure to our north and an easterly flow – it should warm up more, with some variability, as the month goes on – though heavy, thundery showers will likely return, depending on the exact position of high pressure to our north.

It could be worse, and at least we have some relatively warmth and sunshine this weekend. Enjoy!