King Charles's coronation weather forecast: UK might be a bit wet - but how has it been in previous years?
The King's coronation will be on Saturday 6 May, but what will the weather look like? Sky News looks back at the weather in May over the last 10 years and what we might expect during the bank holiday weekend.
Friday 5 May 2023 13:15, UK
British weather is known to be notoriously unpredictable at the best of times, but we seem to have a clear picture of the weather for the big day.
The Met Office's deputy chief forecaster said showers will develop from late morning, though there will also be some sunny spells throughout the day.
UK weather - latest Sky News forecast
Highs of 20C are possible in the capital, with temperatures in the mid to high teens possible elsewhere.
Sunday will see areas of rain breaking up into heavy, possibly thundery showers for many parts of England and Wales, while Monday is more uncertain at this stage.
The bank holiday looks to remain unsettled before higher pressure starts to become more dominant by the middle of the week and brings a more settled spell.
When Queen Elizabeth II was crowned on 2 June 1953, there was a great deal of rain. But that didn't stop people from enjoying themselves.
The King will be crowned at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6 May with millions of people expected to head to London for the coronation.
But you never know...
Sky News has taken a look back at the weather on the first weekend of May over the last 10 years in London, as provided by the Met Office.
Does the pattern suggest a dry day out or a washout?
2011
7th and 8th May
Highs of 23.9C
Lows of 13.7C
Max Rainfall in mm: 8.4
2012
5th and 6th May
Highs of 10.5C
Lows of 5.2C
Max rainfall in mm: 0.2
2013
4th and 5th May
Highs of 18.7C
Lows of 5.4C
Max rainfall in mm: 1
2014
3rd and 4th May
Highs of 19.4C
Lows of 2.6C
Max rainfall in mm: 8.2
2015
2nd and 3rd May
Highs of 20.3C
Lows of 9.1C
Max rainfall in mm: 0.2
2016
7th and 8th May
Highs of 26.8C
Lows of 11C
Max rainfall in mm: 0
2017
6th and 7th May
Highs of 18.7C
Lows of 7.6C
Max rainfall in mm: 0
2018
5th and 6th May
Highs of 26.3C
Lows of 6C
Max rainfall in mm: 0
2019
4th and 5th May
Highs of 12.7C
Lows of 1.4C
Max rainfall in mm: 0
2020
2nd and 3rd May
Highs of 15.5C
Lows of 6C
Max rainfall in mm: 0.2
2021
1st and 2nd May
Highs of 12C
Lows of 2C
Rainfall data not provided
2022
7th and 8th May
Highs of 20.6C
Lows of 9.6C
Max rainfall in mm: 0
Looking at those rainfall figures, the chances of a dry weekend are looking good.
But the temperatures are all over the place.
So in summary, hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
There will, of course, be fairly accurate weather predictions the closer we get to the big day, and you can check the five-day forecast where you are by putting your postcode into our weather checker here.
Read more:
The ultimate guide to the King's coronation
King makes front row seat offer
What the crowns, orbs and swords mean
Coronation route and royal coaches in detail
What are the rules for hosting a street party?
What events will take place during the coronation weekend?
• Saturday 6 May - Coronation Day
• 6-8 May - The Big Lunch across the country and the Commonwealth
• Sunday 7 May - The Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle
• Monday 8 May - Bank Holiday across the nation and The Big Help Out, which encourages people to try volunteering in their local area.
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Want to tune into the big event?
Sky News will kick off its coronation day coverage at 6am on Saturday 6 May.
This is free to watch via Freeview channel 233, Sky channel 501, Virgin 603 and BT 313.
Viewers can also stream for free on the Sky News website or app and on the Sky News YouTube channel.