Blustery showers and heavy rain before a clearer, cooler night
A cloudy, murky and blustery day across North West England with hill fog over the fells and bands of showers running in off the Irish Sea. Cumbria and the Lancashire coast see the most frequent rain, heavy at times over the Lake District, while Merseyside, Cheshire and Greater Manchester stay mostly dry under the cloud with just the odd shower. A rumble of thunder is possible in the heaviest downpours over the hills this afternoon.
Heavy rain arrives into west Cumbria late this afternoon and sweeps south-east across the whole region through the evening and around midnight, clearing into the Pennines by the early hours. Skies then clear from the north-west, with mist and fog patches possible by dawn as winds ease.
Mild for the time of year with highs of 17C to 19C in Cheshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester, 15C to 17C across Lancashire and the Cumbrian coast, and 11C to 14C over the fells. Falling to 6C to 9C in rural spots tonight once the rain clears.
A fresh south-westerly wind gusts 22 to 28 mph inland and 28 to 40 mph on the coasts and fells today, strengthening this evening with coastal gales and gusts of 40 to 50 mph in exposed parts of Cumbria.
