Nick Finnis

Storm Dave makes an untimely arrival over the Easter Weekend, bringing gales or severe gales to northern Britain along rain and mountain snow. Calmer conditions expected on Easter Monday.

Cool and increasingly windy into the weekend, with sunshine and showers. Changeable next week, with further showers or rain, though mostly for the north and west. Becoming warmer, especially in the south.

After a cool and showery start to the week, it looks to turn warmer from mid-week, particularly for southern and eastern areas. However the weather will remain changeable, best chance of staying dry towards southern and eastern England, wettest in the northwest and far west.

Low pressure close to the NW will continue to bring showers to end the week, becoming confined to the north Saturday, then all areas becoming dry and settled from Sunday, as blocking high pressure takes over and dominates through next week.

Blocking high pressure close to the north will ensure a mostly dry and settled week ahead, with plenty of sunshine for many, but on the cool side in an easterly wind. Nights will be chilly, with risk of rural frost.

A warm March triggering an early start to the growing season then a dry April so far and recent windy conditions too are creating the ideal conditions for wildfires to spread, with numerous fires across parts of the UK this week. Is there any rain on the horizon?

High pressure will generally been in charge this coming week, continuing the mostly dry, fine and sunny weather. However, there will be some exceptions: showers in the north and east Monday, then the west later in the week. A strong easterly wind develops from Tuesday too.

It's been a very April for many so far, especially toward the east of the UK, however, there will be some showers on offer at times over the coming days, even over the Bank Holiday Weekend.

Week ahead: some showers around most days, though there location will move around day-to-day. It will turn cooler towards mid-week aswinds turn northerly, Wednesday coolest day. Warmer in the south later on.