Summer is finally on the way as four weeks of sunshine bring temperatures of 28C (but we'll have to endure a few Bank Holiday showers first)

  • Met Office is predicting a month of sunshine from Tuesday with temperatures expected to reach 28C
  • Experts predict steady sun for May after freakish weather in April which saw snow, hail and heatwaves 
  • But first, Britons face a grey Bank Holiday Sunday and Monday with cloudy skies, rain and cold temperatures

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Britain is in for four weeks of glorious sunshine - but first the country must endure a traditionally wet Bank Holiday.

The good news is from Tuesday - typically as most people return to work - weather forecasters predict a month-long stint of sun, with dry skies and highs of up to 28C.

This means that after a bizarre April, which has seen flurries of snow and unseasonably highs of 25C, summer is finally on its way. 

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Summer is on its way! Experts are predicting four weeks of glorious sunshine for Great Britain, starting from Tuesday 

Summer is on its way! Experts are predicting four weeks of glorious sunshine for Great Britain, starting from Tuesday 

Splash! A sunny Saturday in Brighton saw brave swimmers take to the chilly waters, dressed sensibly in wet-suits 

Splash! A sunny Saturday in Brighton saw brave swimmers take to the chilly waters, dressed sensibly in wet-suits 

Fun in the sun! Day-trippers made the most of the nice weather today before cloud and rain moves in overnight for Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday 

Fun in the sun! Day-trippers made the most of the nice weather today before cloud and rain moves in overnight for Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday 

Spring sunshine: Brighton's beach was filled with tourists and locals today, who were making the most of the pleasant weather. And there is more good news to come, as Government forecasters predict a warm May 

Spring sunshine: Brighton's beach was filled with tourists and locals today, who were making the most of the pleasant weather. And there is more good news to come, as Government forecasters predict a warm May 

But before you rush to whip out the barbecue, the Met Office predicts the remainder of the Bank Holiday Weekend will be largely disappointing.

In typical British fashion, Monday will see the worst of it as forecasters warn holidaymakers heading out on day trips should be prepared to get wet.

After midweek flurries in the Midlands and North, a rain band will hit the South and Midlands tomorrow, with Bank Holiday showers on Monday. 

However the Met Office said that 'typically' the weather would dramatically improve after the chilly 16C Bank Holiday weekend.

Good sunshine and mainly dry skies are forecast from Tuesday, due to nudge 20C, with the 'low 20s' - 7C above average - later in the week.

Beach bum: 25-year-old Ebti Mukhtar, from Blackpool, made the most of the weather on St Anne's Beach in Lancashire on Friday, despite colder than usual temperatures 

Beach bum: 25-year-old Ebti Mukhtar, from Blackpool, made the most of the weather on St Anne's Beach in Lancashire on Friday, despite colder than usual temperatures 

Pictured: Cookie the cockapoo dog plays in a forest of bluebells near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire on Friday afternoon 

Pictured: Cookie the cockapoo dog plays in a forest of bluebells near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire on Friday afternoon 

The Met Office reported a 'strong signal' for a 'summery' May to be hotter-than-normal, with frequent sunshine and little rainfall – with the balmy conditions set to last through the month. 

Government forecasters said highs in the 'mid 20s' were on the cards later in May, with the 'high 20s' possible in the right weather set-up. Temperatures could hit 28C. 

Hot May spells peaked at 28C last year, at Plockton, Ross & Cromarty, Scotland, on May 9, and 31C in 2012 at Inverailort, Highland, Scotland, on May 25 – Scotland's record hottest ever May day - Met Office records show. 

The Met Office said hot air from the Mediterranean will boost temperatures, while high pressure will bring dry skies.  

The hottest temperature of the year so far is 25.5C, on April 9 in Cambridge. 

Met Office forecaster Charlie Powell said: 'Typically, just after the Bank Holiday weekend's rain fronts, temperatures will be on the up from Tuesday, with a good deal of fine and dry weather. 

Weather watch: Britons know better than to expect nice weather for Bank Holidays and this weekend proves no different with rain and cloud forecast in much of the country on Sunday and Monday before things improve on Tuesday 

Weather watch: Britons know better than to expect nice weather for Bank Holidays and this weekend proves no different with rain and cloud forecast in much of the country on Sunday and Monday before things improve on Tuesday 

He said: 'There is a strong signal for the first two weeks of May and most of the rest of the month for high pressure, with warm and dry weather due to southerly winds from the Mediterranean and easterly winds from central Europe. 

'It will feel summery. May looks warmer than average, with a lot of dry and fine weather, so pleasant for people outdoors. 

'May can get into the low or mid 20s, with the high 20s in the right set-up. 

'It will approach 20C from Tuesday, with the low 20s possible by the end of the week in the South-East, and the chance of the mid-20s later in the month.' 

The Met Office month-ahead outlook said: 'Settled weather is likely to bring rather warm temperatures. 

'Temperatures are likely to remain above average, and possibly become very warm at times. It is likely to continue to be drier than average.' 

The Weather Outlook forecaster Brian Gaze said: 'After a mixed Bank Holiday weekend, warmer air will move over the majority of the country as temperatures trend upwards. 

'The mercury could soar early this year, with an increased chance of very warm air being pulled up from southern Europe in May. 

'It looks increasingly settled so it will probably be back to watering the garden.'