It will probably take some time for anyone who has been secretly hoping that Easter 2026 will provide the kind of clear, crisp spring weekend that makes a long bank holiday feel earned—the kind where you can actually sit outside with a coffee and not regret it. The forecast for the Easter bank holiday released by the Met Office is as welcome as a wet sock: erratic, erratic, and occasionally genuinely windy. From Good Friday onward, low pressure is predicted to dominate most of the United Kingdom. According to the forecasters, there is “a strong signal” that windy and rainy conditions will persist throughout the weekend.
The timing’s particular cruelty is difficult to ignore. With temperatures as high as 17°C in some areas of southern England, Tuesday, March 31, is predicted to be the warmest day of the entire week. It’s a genuinely pleasant stretch of mild air that feels like a setup for what’s to come. Bands of rain are already traveling south from northern Scotland by Wednesday. On Thursday, there may be brief periods of sunshine before clouds and stronger winds start to move back in across the north and west. The weather suddenly changes as millions of families pack up their vehicles and drive to the motorway.
| Event | Easter Bank Holiday Weekend 2026 |
|---|---|
| Dates | Good Friday April 3 – Easter Monday April 6, 2026 |
| Easter Sunday | April 5, 2026 |
| UK Forecast Authority | Met Office (UK’s national weather service) |
| Overall Outlook | Wet, windy, and unsettled across most of the UK |
| Good Friday Forecast | Heavy rain, strong winds, particularly in the north and west |
| Easter Saturday Forecast | Continued rain and showers, some sunny spells possible in the southeast |
| Easter Sunday Forecast | Showers continuing, driest conditions toward southeast England |
| Warmest Day of the Week | Tuesday, March 31 — up to 17°C in southern England |
| Coldest Area | Glasgow: lows of 2°C on Saturday, April 4 |
| Road Travel Expected | ~21 million car journeys (RAC estimate), busiest Easter since 2022 |
| Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist | Steven Keates |
| Reference Website | Met Office Official Forecast |
In Britain, the Easter vacation is always one of the most popular travel occasions of the year, and 2026 looks to be especially busy. Approximately 21 million leisure car trips are scheduled between Thursday, April 2, and Easter Monday, according to the RAC. This is the highest number since 2022, which was also the first significant bank holiday following England’s lifting of travel restrictions due to the coronavirus. Fuel prices don’t seem to be deterring drivers from making these trips. It remains to be seen if a wet windscreen and slow-moving traffic on the M5 will deter them.
Steven Keates, the deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office, was forthright about the future. Spells of rain, some of which may be heavy, are predicted for Good Friday and Easter Saturday. These will be followed by sunny spells and showers, with the driest conditions most likely occurring in the southeast. Additionally, he noted that it will occasionally become windy in all regions, with exposed northwest areas experiencing the worst of it. For example, Glasgow is expected to see rain for the majority of Friday and Saturday. On Good Friday, the temperature will barely reach 12°C, and on Saturday night, it will drop to about 2°C. Glasgow experiences rain on Easter Sunday from early morning until mid-afternoon, with only a brief window of dry weather in the evening.
The advice appears to be fairly clear for anyone organizing an outdoor Easter egg hunt in the garden, which is one of those hopeful customs that works flawlessly about once every five years. Put it off, or at the very least, have a backup plan that includes a gazebo or a highly waterproof coat. The only area where conditions could be favorable is the southeast of England, where high pressure has a slightly greater influence and at least the potential for drier spells during some of the weekend. Incoming low-pressure systems are predicted to primarily affect the northwest, bringing with them extended periods of rain and strong winds.
The forecast for London and the surrounding areas calls for cloud cover, a 40% chance of rain on Good Friday, and consistently low to mid-teens temperatures. It’s cool enough that no one is reaching for sunscreen, but not cold enough to feel like winter. The weather on Saturday and Sunday is similar, with clouds, sporadic drizzle, and day-to-day highs of 13 to 15°C. It’s the type of weather that doesn’t exactly make staying inside worthwhile, but it also doesn’t make going outside worthwhile. A meteorological limbo of sorts.
This is a longer pattern that is worth observing. In Britain, Easter is always a weather gamble, and bank holiday weekends are known for providing just the wrong conditions. There were washout moments in the summer of 2024. Easter 2023 was a mixed bag. It’s possible that 21 million people are still getting in their cars despite the expectation of disappointment, which has practically become ingrained in how people plan the holiday.
A slightly more nuanced picture was provided by Met Éireann in Ireland, who described the weekend as a tale of two halves, with a major change occurring later on Easter Sunday after it was mostly dry and settled in the lead-up. As is frequently the case with spring weather in countries that face the Atlantic, conditions may differ significantly even within short distances throughout the island.
Easter weekend in 2026 is remarkably close to the Pink Full Moon, which peaked a few days earlier on April 1, for those who are willing to look east rather than up. It’s another matter entirely whether anyone will be able to see it clearly this weekend due to the cloud cover over most of the UK.
