Temperatures to hit 26C before cooler, wetter weather arrives for the bank holiday weekend

It's set to be a warm and bright start to the May Bank Holiday weekend, with temperatures climbing for the Friday getaway, before cooler air and showers move in over the weekend.

Temperatures are set to rise into the twenties across much of England and east Wales.

Parts of the south-east could see highs of 25C or even 26C (77–79F), well above the early May average of 16C (61F).

However, an approaching weather front is expected to take the shine off conditions, bringing a more unsettled feel in typical bank holiday fashion.

Friday is forecast to be the warmest and most humid day of the week, before cloud and showers begin to spread in from the north and west.

Meanwhile, a weak area of low pressure moving up from Biscay will start to trigger showers and the risk of thunderstorms across southern and central areas heading into Saturday.

This system will then move northwards and eastwards, bringing more unsettled conditions and fresher air across the UK.

Temperatures will drop noticeably by Sunday, with further unsettled weather expected into Bank Holiday Monday.

High pressure has been dominant across the UK lately leading to many areas having a particularly dry April, especially across eastern England.

Bedford and Shoeburyness in Essex have only received 2% of their average April rainfall. Cambridge and Herstmonceux in East Sussex, have only had 4%.

By contrast, some spots in the north-west of the UK such as Tiree in the Inner Hebrides have had a wetter month than average.

This week will be largely dominated once more by warm, dry and sunny conditions with the large area of high pressure moving further north-eastwards.

It draws in a south-easterly wind, ushering in warmer air from the south and creating a rise in temperatures across the UK, including parts of northern Scotland, in the shelter of the Highlands.

As the high pressure clears away though, it will no longer block low pressure systems in the Atlantic and the approaching cold front will begin to show its hand.

One thing's for sure; it won't be a washout.

While many in the west will have showers on Friday, for most further east it could remain warm and dry until the end of the day.

Over the weekend there will be a shallow area of low pressure across the UK. It will be unsettled with rain at times but there will also be lots of dry weather too and the winds will be light.

In the best of the sunshine - and there will be some sunny breaks - it will feel warm.

Scotland looks cloudy with showers on Saturday while elsewhere it will be a day of showers with sunny spells breaking through the cloud at times. It will still be warm, especially in south-east England.

Sunday looks wetter in the south of the UK with showers and longer spells of rain. Further north, though, it could stay largely dry with sunny spells. It will be cooler across the board with temperatures much closer to average at 11-18C.

By Bank Holiday Monday, however, while it's still looking cooler than it has been, high pressure could re-establish itself across the UK bringing a drier end to the long weekend.

Showers at this time of year are notoriously difficult to forecast due to unstable conditions high in the atmosphere. There is also some uncertainty in the timing and position of the cold front on Friday. Keep across the latest for your local area weather-wise BBC Weather website and app.

And if you are already making plans for May you can read our latest monthly outlook.