August 23, 2026 - 161 views
North Wales is set for a dramatic change in the weather next week, with the Met Office warning that increasingly unsettled conditions could bring heavy rain, thunderstorms and potentially significant rainfall from Wednesday onwards.
The North Wales coast is currently enjoying a relatively calm and warm spell, but that is not expected to last.
The latest Met Office forecast for Wales says Monday should remain dry and fine, with sunny spells and temperatures reaching around 24C in parts of the region. Along the coast, the forecast for places including Colwyn Bay, Llandudno and Holyhead is for plenty of sunshine or sunny intervals and temperatures around 21C to 22C.
However, the weather begins to turn on Tuesday, with showers becoming more likely before a much more unsettled spell develops during Wednesday and Thursday.
For the North Wales coast, the current Met Office forecast puts temperatures at around 21C to 22C on Wednesday, with showers possible, before a much wetter Thursday. Llandudno and Colwyn Bay are currently showing the possibility of heavy rain on Thursday, while Holyhead is forecast to see lighter showers.
The change is being driven by warmer and more humid air moving northwards and interacting with an area of low pressure. The Met Office says heavy rain and thunderstorms are possible at times across Wales, although there is still uncertainty over exactly where the heaviest rainfall will develop.
That uncertainty is important because thunderstorms can produce very different rainfall totals over relatively short distances. Areas repeatedly affected by slow-moving storms could see particularly intense downpours, raising the risk of surface water and flash flooding.
For communities around the North Wales coast, including Colwyn Bay, Llandudno, Conwy, Bangor and Holyhead, the forecast is therefore one to keep watching as the week progresses.
The weather will also become noticeably cooler after the humid spell. Colwyn Bay and Llandudno are currently forecast to reach around 19C on Friday, compared with 22C earlier in the week. Friday is expected to bring further showers and stronger winds, with Saturday remaining cloudy and potentially wet at times.
Further inland, conditions could be particularly unsettled over Eryri. The Met Office's specialist mountain forecast currently describes Friday as another unsettled day, with showers or heavy spells of rain, widely windy conditions and low confidence about exactly where the heaviest rain will fall.
And there is little sign of a return to prolonged summer sunshine immediately afterwards.
The Met Office's longer-range forecast for Friday August 28 through to early September says the unsettled pattern is likely to continue, with showers or longer spells of rain, some heavy bursts and thunderstorms and the possibility of stronger winds. Rainfall is expected to be above average for the time of year, although there should still be some drier and brighter interludes.
The longer-range outlook suggests that changeable conditions could continue into September, with further heavy or thundery rain possible. Interestingly, the Met Office says unsettled weather may become increasingly concentrated across northern and north-western parts of the UK as September progresses.
So, after a warm and largely settled start to the final week of August, North Wales could be heading into a very different few days — with sunshine giving way to humidity, thunderstorms, heavy rain and stronger winds.
And with the ground having experienced a prolonged period of dry weather, residents should keep an eye on the latest Met Office warnings, particularly if thunderstorms develop and rainfall becomes concentrated over the same area.
The Met Office stresses that the precise location and severity of the heaviest rainfall remains uncertain, so the forecast will need to be monitored closely over the next couple of days.
