Yesterday we saw the temperature reach 21.3C at Gravesend in Kent, but overnight a cold front swept through all areas, so Thursday will see a cooler day everywhere in the keen westerly or northwesterly breeze.

Heavy, possibly thundery, showers for some today

For much of England and Wales, it will be a mostly dry day with decent sunny spells and variable amounts of cloud. But across Scotland, NW England and Northern Ireland we will see a mixture of sunshine and showers throughout the day. Showers will be wintry in nature across the Scottish mountains and there will be a risk of hail and thunder in the heavier showers. Still feeling quite pleasant in the sunshine with shelter across the south, with temperatures reaching 18C in London, 16C in Norwich, 14C in Cardiff. Cooler in the north, with temperatures reaching 12C in Belfast, 11C in Manchester and Edinburgh.

We hang on to the showers this evening and overnight across Scotland, though where skies clear for long enough, it will turn cold with a touch of frost in sheltered Glens. Further south, mostly dry for much of the night, though a frontal wave running east off the Atlantic will bring a band of rain and strengthening winds in across Ireland and Northern Ireland, reaching NW England and Wales by dawn.

Rain totals on Friday

The rain arriving across the west first thing on Friday will then spread east across much of England and Wales during the morning, accompanied by strong winds. The rain will be heavy in places. Brighter and showery conditions across Scotland and Northern Ireland for much of the day - some of the showers heavy with wintriness over higher ground. Brighter skies with scattered light showers following across much of England and Wales in the afternoon, as the morning rain clears the southeast by evening. A cool and windy day, temperatures reaching 17C in London, 13C in Cardiff and Plymouth, 12C in Manchester and Belfast, 11C in Glasgow.

A tale of two halves over the weekend. Saturday is looking mostly dry and bright with sunny spells, as brief ridge of high pressure slides in from the west, though still some showers likely over northern Scotland. Temperatures reaching 12-14 in the north, 14-17C in the south. Sunday rather different, as we an active frontal system cross the UK, bringing a spell of wet and windy conditions across all areas, followed by drier and brighter conditions across western areas in the afternoon.