Fine weather to brighten up school half-term

After a bank holiday that brought rain for much of the country, those lucky enough to be off work or school this half-term can rejoice: warm weather is on the way. The penultimate weekend in May saw temperatures as high as 28C in some parts of the UK but – as usual – by the time the bank holiday arrived, conditions had worsened, to the point where Scotland received more than 7cm (3in) of snow . After several moist days for much of the UK, however, the country is set for "noticeably warmer" conditions over the next 24 hours. MeteoGroup , the weather division of the Press Association, said north-west Scotland would be rather cloudy, with light showers, but the rest of the country would see finer conditions. "Across the rest of the UK, any early mist will soon clear after sunrise to leave a largely fine and settled day with spells of sunshine, but with cloud increasing for a time across many areas," it said in a forecast . The good news for schoolchildren – apart from those studying for exams, perhaps – is that the fine weather is set to continue over the next couple of days. "Thursday will be a mainly fine and dry day across the UK with some long spells of sunshine for many, especially across central and southern areas of England," MeteoGroup said. "Cloud will build for a time during the afternoon. The chance of some mist and low cloud around the coasts in eastern England." Thursday would be another warm day, it added. "Similarly, Friday will be fine and dry with plenty of warm sunshine. However, low cloud could lap on to North Sea coasts at times; [there is] just the chance of a few heavy showers in western Scotland."