London election weather: Will the rain hold off as millions set to cast ballots?

Thousands of voters may need their umbrellas as they head to polling stations, with showers expected in parts of the country.

The Met Office has predicted that there will be bright conditions on Thursday but there will be blustery showers across Britain.

But the weather in London is expected to be a stark contrast to six weeks ago, when a soaked Rishi Sunak announced the snap election in the rain outside Downing Street.

The forecaster has predicted that the rain will hold off on Thursday when millions of Londoners cast their ballots, although last-minute door knockers could be caught in showers on Wednesday morning.

There will be pockets of rainfall throughout Thursday, with showers expected in cities such as Glasgow, Edinburgh and Manchester.

BBC Weather has warned that Thursday “will turn windy with heavy showers drifting into northern and western areas”.

The broadcaster has predicted it will be sunny in London with a moderate breeze before light rain hits the capital on Friday.

London can look forward to highs of 21C meanwhile Edinburgh can expect highs of just 15C, plus drizzle and a fresh breeze on polling day.

Light rain showers will give way to sunny spells by 11am in Manchester, with a light breeze and highs of 17°C.

Experts say there is no correlation between the weather and turnout at the polls but they can impact the character of a campaign.

Dr Robert Saunders, Reader in British History at Queen Mary University of London told Sky News that weather tends not to have a large impact on voter turnout but on the “mood and character of the campaign”.

He said: "Jeremy Corbyn had great success with outdoor rallies in May 2017; that was a lot harder to do in December 2019, when it was cold, dark and miserable out.”