UK weather update – Thursday 8 October 2026

The Atlantic is making its presence felt, with rain and gusty winds spreading across the UK as we head towards the end of the working week.

The latest UKWF charts show a change towards more unsettled weather, with rain moving from west to east, followed by showers and a cooler feel heading into the weekend. There will still be drier spells, but conditions look increasingly changeable.

Rain spreads east this evening and overnight

Through Thursday evening, a broad area of rain is forecast across Scotland, northern England, Wales and parts of southwest England.

Some of the heavier bursts are shown across western Scotland and northwest England, particularly over higher ground. Eastern and southeastern England look generally drier initially, before the rain pushes further east overnight.

By the early hours of Friday, the charts show rain extending across parts of Yorkshire, the Midlands and eastern England, reaching East Anglia and the southeast. There could be some locally heavy bursts within this band, although rainfall will vary considerably from place to place.

Across Scotland and Northern Ireland, further rain and showers are likely, with heavier downpours in places.

Gusty winds accompany the rain

It will also become noticeably windy, especially in exposed areas.

The UKV charts suggest gusts of around 35–45 mph in some locations, particularly across western coastal areas and higher ground. Parts of northern England also show locally stronger gusts, with exposed Pennine locations potentially approaching 50 mph on Thursday evening.

As the rain moves east overnight, gusty conditions will extend across more of England. By Friday morning, parts of southern England, Wales and northern England could still see gusts around 40–45 mph locally.

These values will not occur everywhere. Sheltered inland locations will generally experience lower gusts, but the wind will add to the autumnal feel.

Friday: brighter breaks and further showers

By Friday morning, much of the overnight rain is shown clearing eastern England, allowing some brighter and drier intervals to develop.

However, showers will follow from the west. The charts indicate further showers across western Scotland and Northern Ireland, with another area of rain or showers affecting Wales and southwest England.

Some of these could be heavy, so even where the morning starts dry, conditions may change fairly quickly. There should also be gaps between the showers, allowing occasional sunshine.

A cooler feel heading into Saturday

The wider pressure charts show a westerly Atlantic flow continuing into Saturday, with lower pressure to the north of the UK.

They also indicate cooler air moving across the country compared with the start of this period. That points towards a fresher feel, especially when combined with the breeze and passing showers.

The charts do not suggest a major cold spell. Instead, this looks like a change towards more typical October weather: rain at times, blustery showers and some brighter intervals.

The main message is that the Atlantic is returning, bringing a wetter, windier and more changeable end to the week. Western areas are most exposed to further showers, while eastern areas should see some drier breaks after the overnight rain clears.