Headline:

Largely dry on Saturday with sunny spells.

Today:

Chilly start for most places, then largely dry with patchy cloud but also bright or sunny spells, although later this afternoon isolated showers may arrive. Temperatures will be close to average. Maximum temperature 10 °C.

Tonight:

Any showers soon die away, leaving clear periods. Then becoming cloudy overnight with outbreaks of light rain arriving, these most likely across the Pennines with a chance of hill sleet. Minimum temperature 0 °C.

Saturday:

Cloud and outbreaks of rain, these occasionally heavy, will clear eastern areas by early evening. Broken cloud and scattered, sometimes heavy, showers will follow. Breezy inland, windy along the coast. Maximum temperature 11 °C.

Outlook for Sunday to Tuesday:

Monday breezy, bright or sunny spells and isolated showers, until rain arrives in the evening. Tuesday and Wednesday largely dry and cloudy, perhaps patchy light rain Tuesday for the Pennines.

Signs are that much of the UK will see a period of more settled weather for part of this period at least. Very early on, some wet and windy weather is likely across the far northwest but this will be short-lived. It is likely to quickly turn more settled everywhere, with most places predominantly dry. Temperatures will fluctuate between being milder than average to colder than average, so it is possible we could see some overnight frost and fog, but overall by day there should be spells of pleasant spring sunshine making it feel fine away from coasts exposed to a brisk easterly wind. How long the settled conditions last is less certain with some signals that showers / rain could return later in the period.

Blocked, or slowly evolving, weather patterns are favoured for late March into early April, with high pressure probably building to the north or northeast of the UK. Whilst confidence is low in how this will influence the weather across the UK, this tends to lead to a more prolonged period of a certain weather type, be it settled or unsettled. In any case, a reduction in Atlantic-dominated weather patterns is likely, although some wet weather remains possible at times, perhaps more especially in the south and east whilst northwestern areas tend to be drier than average. Temperatures will probably be close to average for the period as a whole, but there is an increased chance of some colder conditions developing for a time with a risk of frost.