UK Weather

Friday 21st August Good morning. It’s Friday, 21 August 2026, and for late summer it’s a rather mixed and slightly cool picture across the UK. Much of the country starts off with a fair amount of cloud, and there’ll be patches of drizzle or light rain drifting around, especially across Wales, the Midlands and parts of northern England. Wales looks dampest by the afternoon, with some more persistent rain developing for a time, so it’s worth keeping a waterproof handy if you’re out and about. Across northern England, it’s a split story: some eastern areas stay largely dry but cool, while further west there may be spells of rain or drizzle, particularly later in the day. The Midlands also turns wetter into the evening, with rain likely to arrive just as many people are heading out or travelling home. The south-east should be one of the milder spots, reaching around 21°C, though still with a bit of cloud and the odd patch of drizzle. Brighter skies may appear towards the evening. The south-west looks fairly benign overall, with only a little light rain possible and some late-day sunshine, especially near coastal areas. Scotland is looking mostly dry but on the cool side, with temperatures in the mid-teens and a fresher feel in the north and east. Northern Ireland has a few damp patches at times, but also some brighter breaks later on, so the day should end on a more pleasant note there. Winds are generally light to moderate, a little more noticeable around exposed coasts, but nothing too disruptive. Overall, not a washout by any means, but a day of changeable skies, cooler-than-ideal summer temperatures, and a few showers to dodge — particularly from the afternoon into the evening.