The classic British summer! UK braces for three days of rain before temperatures soar

Britain will soak up some much-needed summer sun when the clouds finally part this weekend – but only after rain lashes the country for three days straight.

Much of the country enjoyed its last spells of sunshine today before wet weather is forecast for swathes of England from tomorrow through to Thursday morning when low pressure rumbles in from the West.

But building high pressure will usher in brighter skies on Friday which should hold for the weekend as revellers once again descend on the nation’s reopened pubs. 

London and the South East will bask in the best of the higher temperatures which at around 73F, with the mercury even soaring to 79F in some isolated areas, according to the Met Office.

Last weekend’s Super Saturday was blighted by downpours, yet did not deter thousands from rushing to the bar to enjoy their first post-lockdown pint.

Clearer skies could tempt even more people out of their homes and enjoy newfound freedoms such as camping, beer gardens and theme parks.

Before bracing for three days of downpours, rays of sunshine broke through the clouds across the country amid warm weather.

The Met Office told MailOnline that today ‘the far South East, so somewhere like London will be in the low 20s (C), so 22 (71F) somewhere across London in isolated areas, you might get a little bit above that, 23 (73F) or 24 (75F)’. 

Yet sun-worshippers will quickly be dismayed when the floodgates open in the North at around lunchtime tomorrow before the rain sweeps southwards.

The rain will continue to pour throughout the night and into Wednesday morning and then persist until Thursday – with only parts of the North escaping the damp weather.

A Met Office spokeswoman told MailOnline: ‘Rain will be more showery on Thursday and more scattered than Wednesday, with some particularly heavy and generally temperatures cooler than average, particularly under the rain.’

Strong winds which howled last week will calm and there will only be some gusty spells, but nothing above 35mph to warrant any warnings.

Britons will eventually bask in sunshine on Friday – the first Friday night in three months when pubs, bars and restaurants are reopened.

The Met Office spokeswoman said: ‘We’ve got high pressure building at the end of the week. We’re going to see the weather improve slightly. 

‘On Saturday we’ve still got the odd isolated shower in the North. But otherwise it’s going to be dry and bright. 

‘Temperatures are still maybe on the cooler side for the North but on the average side for the South.’  

A return to typical sunny weather will pave the way for busy parks, beaches and pubs this weekend as the country enjoys its second weekend with eased restrictions. 

The Met Office is also wary of reports of an end of July heatwave and believes temperatures will likely remain average. The average July weather is 67F for the UK as a whole and 70F for England.