Rayleigh (Essex) weather

Headline:

Mostly dry, with spells of warm sunshine. Some rain overnight.

Today:

Low cloud quickly lifting to brighter skies, with plenty of hazy spells of sunshine developing. An isolated light shower or two may be possible, mainly during the afternoon. Feeling warm and muggy, with light winds. Maximum temperature 26 °C.

Tonight:

Cloud slowly increasing through the evening, with a period of heavy rain moving southwards by late evening and during the early hours. Staying cloudy and damp thorough until dawn. Minimum temperature 16 °C.

Tuesday:

Gradually brightening up, after a cloudy and damp start, with sunny spells and a scattering of light showers. Feeling a little cooler, but still pleasant in the sunnier moments Maximum temperature 24 °C.

Outlook for Wednesday to Friday:

Sunny spells and showers expected throughout this period. Some of the showers will be heavy and times, with the risk of hail and thunder. A fresh feel for all.

A rather changeable period is likely, with many parts of the UK seeing showers or perhaps some longer spells of rain. However, there will be some drier interludes as high pressure moves across the UK at times. There is also a chance that deeper Atlantic lows could lead to periods of widespread rain and strong winds at times, while some outbreaks of thunderstorms are also possible. Temperatures are more likely to be above normal than below overall, though the possibility of widespread or exceptional heat is lower than in recent weeks.

As we move into the start of meteorological autumn, signals for the prevailing weather patterns affecting the UK are weak, thus something close to the climatological norm is most likely. This means a broad northwest-southeast split in conditions, with the high pressure becoming centred close to the south of the UK and more changeable conditions developing towards the north and northwest. Meanwhile, drier, more settled weather is slightly more likely towards the south and east. Temperatures are likely to be above average overall. There is a chance that late season hot spells or heatwaves develop, especially in the south.