When will it stop raining? Exact date heavy showers to end as maps show spring to finally arrive
3 April 2024, 15:11 | Updated: 3 April 2024, 15:28
Fresh weather maps have shown the exact date heavy showers will end as spring finally arrives in the UK.
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Heavy rain is set to continue sweeping the country for most of April, with the north of England and Scotland being worst hit.
Thundery showers are also set to arrive in the south from this Thursday.
But weather maps show that a brief dry spell can be expected at the start of next week - around April 8 - before rain returns until April 16 at the earliest.
Over the weekend, the Met Office forecast says: "Spells of rain and showers continuing over the coming days and becoming increasingly windy.
"Rather mild in the south and turning increasingly mild in the north after a chilly start."
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The long range forecast says: "The ongoing unsettled spell of weather is likely to continue into this period with little sign of any dramatic change.
"All areas can expect to see showers or longer spells of rain at times with western hills likely to see the largest rainfall totals.
"Likely windy at the start of the period with further windy spells likely at times through to mid-April.
"Whilst unsettled conditions are most likely to prevail, there does appear to be at least a chance of some regions having some drier interludes.
"These probably only short-lived however, and through next week the chances look greatest across southern areas.
"Above average temperatures are most likely, albeit often tempered by cloud, rain and occasional strong winds."
🌧️ Remaining damp across northern England and Scotland with rain slowly pushing northeastwards
— Met Office (@metoffice) April 3, 2024
⛅Drier for Wales and the rest of England with brighter intervals developing later in the afternoon
☔ Heavier rain approaching the far southwest into the evening pic.twitter.com/awutIG7g0k
Brits can expect drier and sunnier spells of weather later in the month and heading into May.
Temperatures are expected to be near or a little above normal for the period as a whole.
It comes as England has seen record rainfall in the 18 months to March.
Some 1,695.9mm of rain fell from October 2022 to March 2024, according to Met Office provisional statistics.
It marks the highest level of rainfall in England since comparable data began in 1836 - beating the previous record which covered between September 2022 to February 2024.
Met Office scientist Emily Carlisle said: "Many will remember how wet March has been, with a succession of fronts and the influence of low pressure seemingly never too far away from the UK.
"Coming off the back of a wet winter and what has been a wet start to the year, many areas have very saturated ground, which has increased the sensitivity to rainfall events in recent weeks."
