Temperatures hit 25C in parts of UK but rain on cards for bank holiday weekend

Temperatures in parts of the UK hit 25C on Friday but forecasters have warned of possible heavy rain over the bank holiday weekend.

A high of 25.4C was recorded on Friday at both Heathrow Airport and Kew Gardens in London, meaning areas of southern England were hotter than Tenerife where the projected high was 23C. However, forecasters do not expect the sunshine to last, with “unsettled conditions” and rain showers on the way over the weekend. “As we get into tomorrow, we will start to see a change in weather type,” Met Office spokesperson Grahame Madge told the Press Association. “We’ll start to see a band of rain coming up from the south bringing some potentially quite heavy rain to southern parts of the country. “Then on Sunday itself, we’ve got an area of low pressure which will bring unsettled conditions to most parts of the UK.” The outlook is brighter for Bank Holiday Monday. “Where we see a shower they could be quite sharp and heavy. But apart from that, Monday looks to be for many the best day of the bank holiday weekend,” said Mr Madge. Nigel Muir, 64, founder of Paddle Richmond, a stand-up paddleboard rental company on the banks of the River Thames, said he had seen a rise in bookings on Friday morning because of the warm weather. “Whenever we get good weather like this, we get a surge of inquiries and we’ll be busy for the rest of the weekend,” said Mr Muir. “Nowadays people are waiting for a good weather window and book last minute. “People are booking later and wanting a more perfect experience, which for them includes sunny weather. “People are definitely more careful with their money, for reasons we are all familiar with, and they want to get the most out of their experience.” The brief hot spell comes after an April that was drier and warmer than average for much of the UK, according to provisional figures from the Met Office. England received just over a third (38%) of expected rainfall last month, with Wales seeing nearly two-thirds (63%). Northern Ireland received close to expected levels, while Scotland had 17% more rain than is typical. All four nations recorded a higher mean temperature in April than the long-term average.

Published: 01/05/2026 by Radio NewsHub