Sun and showers forecast for Bank Holiday weekend in Northern Ireland

The Met Office has forecast that tomorrow will get off to chilly start giving way to a bright and sunny morning.

Cloud will gradually thicken from the west during the afternoon and temperatures could reach 17 degrees.

The weekend is to be mostly dry with some scattered showers, which may come as a welcome relief to those taking part in the Belfast Marathon.

Bank Holiday Monday is to be mostly dry said the Met Office.

Meanwhile this month is on course to shirk the ‘April Showers’ tag.

Met Office Meteorologist Graham Madge said: “Up to the 27th, Northern Ireland has had 57 millimetres of rain which is 78% of what we would expect in a normal April, between 1991 and 2020.

“In terms of rainfall England has had less than half, only 23 millimetres of rainfall so far this April, to put Northern Ireland in context.”

In terms of sunshine and temperatures it has been an average month for Northern Ireland.

Graham said: “There’s 93% of sunshine which would be expected and with a few more days to go we would expect that figure to rise.

“Temperature wise it’s pretty much average, the average temp has been 8.1 which is just 0.2 above the long term average.”

He said that dry conditions were one of the factors that could give rise to gorse fires such as the one experienced on Wednesday evening at Cavehill Country Park.

Graham said: “There’s always the source of ignition to think about but we know that it has been dry which heightens the risk.”