The Met Office has warned of "unsettled" weather over the long weekend with the potential for strong winds as a result of low pressure.

The forecasted showers over the Easter bank holiday, which takes place between Friday 29 March and Monday 1 April, would follow one of the wettest winters on record.

Met Office forecaster Aidan McGivern has said a lot of rain is expected in the week leading up to Easter, with the wettest conditions expected in the West and South West.

Conditions are expected to be drier in the North and North East, he added.

Mr McGivern said: "In between the bands of rain and showers there will be some drier interludes, some March sunshine which is strengthening and is going to feel a little more pleasant than what we've experienced through much of winter.

"But nevertheless, there's no sign of any prolonged settled spell through to the start of the Easter weekend."

The UK has experienced mild weather this week, with temperatures reaching 18.8C in Surrey on Wednesday.

They are expected to drop a little over the next few days and reach the March average of a maximum of 9.2C by Easter weekend.

For those looking to make plans for the long weekend, Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon advised people to keep an eye on the forecast.

He said: "The crucial thing is just to keep up to date with the forecast. This far ahead, the forecast will change as certainty increases."

The current weather predictions are "pretty typical" for this time of year, he added.

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The expected rainy Easter bank holiday is set to follow the warmest February on record for England and Wales.

Unsettled weather remains likely to continue into the week after Easter, the Met Office said.

Despite the potentially damp weather, the UK can look forward to more daylight in the evenings after the clocks go forward one hour at 1am on Easter Sunday 31 March.