Britons face warm end to the month as rainless dome of high pressure brings sunny spells

Nathan Rao
Wed, 22 Apr 2026 07:24:22 +0000

A rainless dome of high pressures wedged over Britain has sparked warnings of a summer drought and hosepipe bans.

While blue skies and warmth for sun-loving Britons is good news, they could spell a nightmare for farmers and gardeners.

Parts of the country that have seen little rain through winter face a bone-dry run into summer.

High pressure will stubbornly smother the UK, screwing the taps tight on the chance of any late-April showers.

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Jim Dale, meteorologist for British Weather Services, said: “The fact that in places the ground is now bone dry, and it is looking like there will not be much rain, is not going to be good news going forward, especially in the east and the southeast.

“This may have implications for the summer in terms of drought, waters shortages and hosepipe bans.

“Even though the dry weather is welcome, it is going to stay very dry in parts of the country through the end of spring and into summer.”

Although parts of the country saw above-average rainfall during the March deluge, unusually dry skies parched the east.

East Anglia had ‘very low’ rainfall, according to the Met Office, with just 61 per cent of the monthly average.

Rainfall was also scarce across the southwest at just 75 per cent the norm, with the south-east ‘particularly low’ at 59 per cent.

The Met Office’s three-month outlook predicts average rainfall into June with a lower-than-normal chance of wetter weather to make up the spring shortfall.

A spokesperson said: “April is more likely to be drier than normal.

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“However, there are likely to be regional variations, with the chance of dry conditions lower in the south and the east than in northwestern areas.”

The alert comes as Britain gears up for a long dry spell, with temperatures poised to rocket ahead of the weekend.

A huge ‘anticyclonic’ region of high pressure driving clear, cloudless skies, will lock in place through the end of the month.

Mr Dale said: “There is no immediate change from high pressure dominating the weather, and that means that it will be dry and warm in the sunshine.

“Temperatures in the sun could hit the high teens or above by the end of the week, making it feel very pleasant for many.

“There will be some big swings in temperatures from day to night, and there will be a risk of frosts in parts.”

Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said: “High pressure stays in control into Friday, so it will stay largely fine, and although there will be a chilly start, with temperatures in the very high teens or low 20Cs, so pretty warm for the time of year.

“It is going to feel colder towards North Sea coasts and the eastern side, and this will keep temperatures pegged back a fair amount.

“There will be high levels of pollen which could cause some problems, and high levels of UV.”