Blustery showers are expected across the UK over the next few days, while hopes of a Bank Holiday heatwave have been dashed by forecasters.

Sunny spells will brighten up the weekend in between showers, and maximum temperatures are expected to be average – about 21C in the South and about 19C in the North.

People can expect to see a “gradual improvement” in the weather next week, but one last hot weekend of summer is not looking likely.

Summer weather August 16th 2019
A woman pushes her bike along an empty beach in Camber, East Sussex, during bad weather (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurst said: “We can’t get much worse, can we? We’ve had such wet and windy weather so far this month.”

He added: “It’s likely that Saturday right through to Wednesday, at least, will be summarised by sunny spells and showers.

“And hopefully from Thursday through the rest of the week those showers should start to become less, but a bit of uncertainty with exactly how less they will become as we head towards the Bank Holiday weekend.

“I’d say, overall, compared with the wet and windy weather we’ve had over the last few weeks, there is a gradual improvement over the next four or five days.

“But it is only a gradual improvement, rather than any heatwave or hot and sunny weather on the way.”

Looking ahead to the Bank Holiday weekend, Mr Dewhurst said it was too far off to know with any certainty, but said it was more likely to be “pleasant” rather than “hot and sunny”.

Singer Liam Payne was forced to cancel an outdoor charity concert in west London on Friday because of the wet weather and bookmaker Coral said it has suspended betting on this month being the wettest on record.