Mourners hoping to pay their final respects to Queen Elizabeth II face “thundery showers” as they queue for hours to view her lying in state.
The Queen’s coffin will arrive in London from Scotland on Tuesday night before being placed in Westminster Hall, where the public can view it lying in state from Wednesday, 14 September until 6.30am on the day of her funeral on Monday, 19 September.
Authorities in London have already warned of queues that could last overnight and suggested mourners should be prepared to stand for many hours when viewing of the coffin is made available.
According to the Met Office there will be “thundery showers” across the south of England from Tuesday evening, when mourners are expected to begin forming queues.
“The far south of England, including London, will see an ingression of showers from the continent as Tuesday progresses. There’s a chance of some thundery showers embedded within this band of rain, and much of the southwest and the south of England will see some rain on Tuesday afternoon and into the evening,” Met Office spokesperson Stephen Dixon said.
It is predicted that showers will continue into Wednesday in London when the Queen’s coffin will travel from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall shortly after 2pm, but rain could clear by the evening.
The weather is expected to settle from Thursday into the weekend, the Met Office said, to the relief of thousands who will be queuing to view the Queen’s coffin, which will be guarded 24 hours a day by soldiers from the Royal Household.
Mr Dixon added: “Heading towards the weekend, high pressure begins to move in from the west, bringing more settled weather for most and limiting incursions of showers, especially in the west. Eastern coastal areas, especially in the north, could see some showers at times on Thursday and Friday, but the forecast into the weekend is for the majority of the UK to be under the influence of high pressure, albeit with some cloud preventing any long periods of sunshine.”
The weather forecast for the Queen’s funeral in London on Monday, 19 September is still “being developed,” the Met Office said, but likely conditions will be cloudy with “interludes of sunshine.”
“Next Monday, although detail is still being developed, high pressure is expected to remain in charge for much of the UK, with a possibility of some showers in the north and northwest,” Mr Dixon said. “There’s a slight chance of some light and isolated showers to some eastern coasts, but these are likely to be fleeting in nature. Under the high to the south of the UK, patchy cloud with some interludes of sunshine is the most likely scenario for Monday at present.”
UK 5-day weather forecast
Tonight:
Rain clearing eastern England during the evening. Odd light showers still possible further south but many areas dry and very mild. Cooler, with some clear spells further north, isolated showers.
Tuesday:
Mainly dry with some pleasant sunshine. Cloudier but still warm across parts of southern England, perhaps with odd showers, ahead of more possible heavy rain in the far south later.
Outlook Wednesday to Friday:
Humid with heavy rain near the south coast at first on Wednesday. Drier, brighter, cooler conditions elsewhere spreading south, although some showers in the north and near the east coast
