Hopes for a dry and settled end to July may be dashed, as the UK Met Office’s latest long-range forecast suggests unsettled conditions will persist into the start of August — particularly across the northwest of Britain and Northern Ireland.

Following a run of showery days and changeable conditions, a brief drier spell is expected to develop later this coming week, around Thursday 24 to Friday 25 July. However, by the weekend, a return to westerly-dominated winds is expected to bring further spells of rain or showers, especially to northern and western regions.

While southern and eastern areas may see more prolonged dry and sunny periods, the overall pattern remains mixed. Breezy conditions, particularly in the north, are also likely to feature as temperatures hover around seasonal norms, with only a slight chance of hot spells emerging in the final days of the month.

Looking further ahead, from Sunday 3 August to Sunday 17 August, the forecast continues to point toward a changeable regime, with a mix of showers, rain, and dry interludes. Encouragingly, there are early signals that high pressure could begin to exert more influence as August progresses, potentially bringing more settled weather to a broader swathe of the UK and Ireland.

Despite this potential improvement, any very warm or hot spells are currently confined mostly to southern and eastern areas, and remain uncertain.