UK temperatures plunge after 25C heat - frost and showers return
The first full week of May will feel noticeably cooler after parts of England were baked in 25C on Friday.
Temperatures are set to drop sharply across the UK in early May after Brits were given an early taste of summer last week.
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The first full week of this month will feel noticeably cooler after parts of England were baked in 25C on Friday.
But it is a mixed picture from May Bank Holiday onwards, with a more unsettled pattern taking hold.
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Heading out this Bank Holiday evening?
— Met Office (@metoffice) May 4, 2026
Dry for many with some bright or sunny spells ⛅
Some rain for northern Scotland and scattered heavy showers in the south and southwest 🌦️ pic.twitter.com/BVUEMHyPEa
Scotland got off to a chilly, even frosty start on Monday, with a band of rain set to brush the far north.
Elsewhere, it’s a brighter story - with sunny spells and a strengthening sun bringing a pleasant spring feel.
Northern Ireland is also set for a decent day, staying largely dry with spells of warm sunshine.
Across England and Wales, any early fog has quickly cleared, but cloud is expected to build through the afternoon.
Northern areas stand the best chance of seeing sunshine break through, making it feel a touch warmer than Sunday.
Sunshine will be more limited further south, with a higher risk of heavy showers developing - and even the chance of an isolated rumble of thunder.
Early signs of winter are briefly making a comeback this week, with patches of ground frost and fog returning across parts of the UK for a short period of time.
Monday night will turn noticeably cooler, with a risk of ground frost, especially in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Showers will fade for most, a few could even fall as snow.
Tuesday starts on a chilly note, with early fog soon clearing to leave a mix of sunny spells and showers.
These will be most frequent across Scotland, northern England, the Midlands and Wales.
Wednesday looks set to be the coolest day of the week, as a cold start with more widespread patchy frost will be followed by sunny intervals and a few slow-moving, and at times heavy, showers as a light northerly breeze sets in.
By Thursday, conditions turn milder as a southwesterly wind sets in - and it could be quite brisk in the northwest as low pressure edges closer.
By Friday, that area of low pressure is expected to move away, leaving the UK in what meteorologists call a “col” - essentially a slack pattern with neither high nor low pressure dominating.
It means there’ll still be a few showers around, but also some quieter, brighter spells.
Looking ahead to the weekend, there are signs of low pressure pushing into the southern half of the UK, bringing the potential for more organised and much-needed rain.