UK weather: Showers for the Grand Depart before next week gets "very hot"

As cycling fans gather in Yorkshire for the Tour de France's Grand Depart, weather forecasters have predicted rain and patchy sun across the UK this weekend.

The Met Office said the weather front affecting Scotland, the North West and Wales will move across Britain on Saturday morning, the Independent reports.

Met Office spokeswoman Nicola Maxey said: "Behind that weather front is some slightly cooler weather."

She said that some showers could be heavy while other areas will experience drizzle.

By Sunday there should be less rain and longer periods of sunshine.

For Saturday's Grand Depart, the teams will coast to nearby Harewood House where the race proper - through the Yorkshire Dales to Harrogate - will be started by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.

The second stage, on Sunday, goes from York, through the moors and hills of the South Pennines to Sheffield.

MeteoGroup forecaster Matt Dobson told the Daily Mail that heavy rain tonight should clear by the time the race starts tomorrow.

He said the weather will be "unsettled" on Sunday.

"We've got a band of fairly heavy showers moving eastward across Yorkshire. There's a potential for some of these to be quite heavy and there could even be some lightning.

"But between the showers the sun will come out. It will be a typical summer's day - sunshine and showers."

Next week could see weather similar to this week's 'hottest day of the year', when temperatures reached 27.7C.

James Madden at Exacta Weather told the Daily Express: "By the middle part of next week there is potential for it to become very hot, in particular in some parts to the South and West."

Meanwhile, Leon Brown at The Weather Channel tells AOL Travel: "There is a lot of uncertainty in the detail for the weather beyond early next week over the UK, related to differences in the forecast track of Hurricane Arthur.

"For sure this weekend and early next week will be cooler with showers, although temperatures in southern England not far from average. Most showers over the North West at first, but may be more widespread early next week. We expect temperatures to gradually lift back above normal again by mid-July."

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