A “FAIRLY chilly” spell is expected to follow record-breaking hot weather as the UK marks the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
Temperatures will dip to “below average” as celebrations kick off on bank holiday Monday, but rise again throughout the week.
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The Met Office predicted temperatures would fall from highs of 22C in London and parts of southern England on Saturday to around 15C or 16C on Sunday.
Greg Dewhurst, a Met Office meteorologist, said there would be “frequent showers” in eastern Scotland eastern England on Sunday – even falling as snow over higher ground in Scotland.
Most areas, however, will be “dry with clear spells” on Sunday, and the day will end dry for most.
Dewhurst said there would be a “dividing line between the less cold southwest […] and quite chilly in the north and north-east” on Sunday.
On the bank holiday itself, the Met Office forecasts temperatures will reach a maximum of 15C or 16C on the south coast of England on Monday, May 5, but said northern parts of the UK would “struggle to get into the double figures”.
Thousands of people are expected to line the streets for the spectacle which includes a Churchill speech performance by actor Timothy Spall, a flypast including the Red Arrows, and a military procession of 1,300 members of the armed forces.
Dewhurst predicted the morning would start “bright for many”, with showers across Lincolnshire and down into south-east England.
But in the afternoon most areas will be “dry with sunny spells”, with more sun around for eastern and northern parts of the country compared to Sunday.
There is a slim chance of some rain on Monday in central London for the VE Day procession.
The King, the Queen, the Prime Minister and Second World War veterans will watch the festivities from a platform on the Queen Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace.
Street parties, picnics and community celebrations will also take place across the UK on Monday ahead of the anniversary on Thursday, May 8.
Simon Partridge, meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “To start off the week on Monday, the temperatures we are looking at are fairly chilly.
“That said, though, it will be mostly dry, with light winds as well, so we will lose the winds that we’ve had over recent days, so that will improve things.”
He added: “It looks like there should be a few showers down across the south-east of England on bank holiday Monday, but the rest of the country will be dry, with bright, sunny spells.
“It probably won’t be shorts and T-shirt weather, but at the same time, you won’t need coats or umbrellas.
Moving into Tuesday and Wednesday, rural areas across the country will still be at risk of a touch of frost overnight, but temperatures will generally be getting warmer, Partridge said.
By the time next weekend rolls around, he predicted we “could very well be back in the low 20s once again”.
The cooler spell comes after the UK saw its warmest start to May on record, with a high of 29.3C at Kew Gardens, south-west London, on Thursday.
Met Office Five-Day Forecast
Saturday night: Remaining breezy in the north and northeast with a few showers. Elsewhere, dry with plenty of clear spells but turning much chillier than of late with a touch of frost likely in the countryside, from the Pennines northwards.
Sunday: A fresher start, but for most it’ll remain dry with sunny intervals. A few showers likely along North Sea coasts and feeling cool here especially in the wind.
Monday: Staying fine and dry with sunny spells on bank holiday Monday but slightly cooler temperatures.
Tuesday and Wednesday: Similar conditions, perhaps some prolonged sunshine in places. Temperatures near average. Breezy at first. Chilly nights.