Now get ready to be battered by the gales: Forecasters warn temperatures are likely to drop just in time for the bank holiday Gales are expected to batter parts of Britain over the long weekend Some areas of the UK will also be hit by hail, heavy rain and thunder But temperatures may still hold up ion double figures, say Met Office It took a while but spring did finally burst in to remind us of what we'd been missing all those weeks. So, hold on to that feeling if you can - because many of us could now take a step backwards weather-wise. Forecasters warn that we are about to be blown back to a rather less balmy spell. Typically, it's just in time for the May Bank Holiday next Monday. Wrap up warm: The beach in Brighton is unlikely to be as full as it has been recently when the weather turns over the May Bank Holiday Downpour: Not all parts of the country have been experienced blazing sunshine however - the River Thames broke its banks in West London as grey clouds hovered above The bad news is that gales are expected to batter parts of Britain over the long weekend. Some areas will also be hit by hail, heavy rain and thunder. There is some good news as temperatures may still hold up in double figures. And there will be some light relief from the downturn on Bank Holiday Monday. Yesterday, a Met Office spokesman said: 'Friday and Saturday are looking windy and showery, particularly in northern areas. 'It's still a little cold for the time of year, with temperatures a touch lower than average for the first May Bank Holiday. The weekend is looking rather unsettled. The best sign of any brightness on Monday will be in the South East. Meteorologist Leon Brown, of the Weather Channel, said: 'The end of the week looks a lot more unsettled, unfortunately, just as we head for the bank holiday. There will be a cold start to the weekend with showers, some of them heavy with hail and thunder, so keep a brolly handy. He added that there would be ground frosts at night but things might improve for Monday. 'If you have outdoor plans for Monday, it looks like high pressure will build from the west to bring a lovely day for much of the UK, temperatures recovering again to between 14C to 16C and feeling warmer in the strong sunshine,' said Mr Brown. Last week, the mercury topped 22.5C and Britain was hotter than parts of North Africa. But heavy rain soon moved in across the South East on Friday. Temperatures are expected to remain reasonably high early this week but it will be unsettled until after the holiday weekend. With the weather still topsy-turvy, the odds of snow falling in any British city in the first May bank holiday dropped from 10/1 to 2/1. According to the BBC Weather's Met Office team: 'April is set to end on a rather cool note. Showers are expected to sweep southeast across most of the UK at times. The showers are likely to turn fairly heavy, with thunder and hail always a possibility. 'There's also a risk of some sleet and snow for the higher ground of Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England through the week.'