Wind and rain return this weekend as temperatures tumble

Low pressure will take firm charge of the UK's weather over the weekend, leaving this week's exceptional April warmth a distant memory.

Showers will affect many areas, some of which will be heavy, thundery and possibly wintry over high ground.

Strong winds will also be a feature with gales battering some western coasts.

It marks an abrupt change after temperatures peaked at 26.6C at Kew Gardens, London, on Wednesday - the UK's warmest early April day in 80 years.

An area of low pressure that has been approaching the UK from the west will become slow moving, swirling around and throwing areas of wet weather across the country.

A band of rain sweeping eastwards on Friday night will clear during Saturday morning, leaving a day of sunshine and showers.

Some of the downpours will be heavy, with the chance of hail and thunder.

Snow will mix in with some of the showers across very high ground in northern England and Scotland, above 600m (2000ft) elevation.

However it will not be raining all the time, with dry interludes between the bursts of rain.

It will be windy, especially around western coasts where gales are possible, adding to a chilly feel.

Maximum temperatures will range from 8 to 14C (46-57F).

Winds will remain strong on Saturday night before easing a little on Sunday.

Sunny spells and blustery showers will continue for the second half of the weekend, with the most widespread downpours in the west of the UK and slightly drier conditions further east.

It may feel very slightly warmer than Saturday, with temperatures reaching double digits in most locations.

Pollen levels will remain high or very high in many areas of England.

There is nothing strange or unusual about the cooler and more unsettled weather affecting the UK over the next few days.

It is the temperatures we had earlier in the week that were out of the ordinary, in some cases more than 10C (18F) above the seasonal average.

Wednesday's 26.6C (79.9F) at Kew Gardens was the second-highest temperature on record for the UK during the first half of April.

It was just a fraction below the 26.7C (80.1F) recorded at Greenwich, London, on 4 April 1946.

The warmth came courtesy of a flow of southerly winds from continental Europe, which caused temperatures to climb abruptly.

All four UK nations had their warmest weather of the year so far.

That wind direction has now changed, with a broadly westerly flow from the Atlantic - hence the significantly cooler feel and a return to "normal" spring weather.

Temperatures are expected to climb a little during the first few days of next week, albeit with some outbreaks of rain at times.

There is some uncertainty about just how warm it might get.

At this stage a return to the very high temperatures of a few days ago looks unlikely, but details are likely to change.

You can keep up to date with your local forecast on the BBC Weather website and app, and check the longer term prospect with our monthly outlook.