UK weather: Yellow weather warning issued after sunny Easter Sunday

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for the week ahead, after a sunny Easter Sunday saw temperatures rise to 16C for some.

High pressure moving across the nation “timed itself nicely” for the Easter weekend, the Met Office said.

People were urged not to underestimate the strength of the sun, with UV levels as strong as the “back end of the summer” at times, raising the risk of sunburn on Sunday.

But the bank holiday weekend looks set to end with wetter and less pleasant weather.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for strong winds on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The warning covers parts of Northern Ireland, southwest Scotland, Wales and western England. It will last from 3pm on Tuesday to 6am on Wednesday.

It has issued another yellow warning for strong winds from 6am to midnight on Wednesday which covers parts of Scotland and southwest England.

This is what the yellow warning means, according to the Met Office:

• Some delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport are likely
• Some bus and train services will probably be affected, with some journeys taking longer
• Delays for high-sided vehicles on exposed routes and bridges likely
• Some short-term loss of power and other services is possible
• It’s likely that some coastal routes, seafronts and coastal communities will be affected by spray and/or large waves

Gusts of 45-50mph are possible inland and perhaps in excess of 60mph for a time around some Irish Sea coastal areas.

An estimated two million British holidaymakers are thought to have travelled abroad during the Easter bank holiday weekend, according to the travel trade organisation, ABTA.

But anyone arriving back next week can expect a wet welcome home, with unsettled conditions likely to continue on Easter Monday and through the week.

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Easter Monday washout

Mr Snell warned it would turn “wet and windy” from Monday onwards.

He said: “Monday is certainly going to be that day of change, as low pressure starts to dominate the scene.

“With blustery showers, it’s the day to do anything you want indoors.”

Met Office chief meteorologist, Jason Kelly, added: “A change is on the way for the UK weather as the dry, settled, and in places warm conditions are replaced by a more unsettled weather pattern from Sunday afternoon.

“This change happens first for Northern Ireland and Scotland, where Sunday afternoon rain will be replaced by blustery showers overnight and into Monday.”

A low-pressure system is set to bring a “sustained period of wet and windy weather” from Tuesday and into Wednesday, with the potential for heavy rainfall and even snow – although this will probably be confined to high ground in the north of the UK, the Met Office said.

Winds could reach speeds of 70mph in some exposed upland or coastal regions, with downpours set to dump up to 40mm of rain, although the forecast remains uncertain at this stage.