The royal wedding could be hit by April showers, forecasters have warned.
Much of the UK has been bathed in sunshine over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, but weather experts now say that there is a risk of heavy rain falling on Prince William and Kate Middleton's big day.
Central London and Bucklebury, Berkshire, where Kate grew up, could both see rainfall as the celebrations for the happy couple get under way. The temperature for the royal wedding is likely to be in the high teens, compared to highs of 27C in London over the holiday weekend.
Plans are in place to ensure the wedding goes without a hitch, whatever the weather. If it rains, Prince William and Kate Middleton will leave Westminster Abbey in the Glass Coach, rather than the open-top 1902 State Landau.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that the couple will spend a private moment together with their families during the wedding service, away from the watching eyes of the world.
After saying their vows in front of not only the 1,900 guests inside Westminster Abbey but the millions following proceedings on television and the internet, the newlyweds will sign the marriage register in the Chapel of St Edward the Confessor.
No television cameras will be allowed to capture the private moment as the couple officially record their marriage in writing. They are likely to be joined by their closest relatives, and those acting as witnesses for the marriage registers during the ceremony.
Whether the newlyweds will then leave the Abbey to sunshine or showers is still unknown, with forecasters saying that predictions could still change before Friday.
Helen Rossington, senior forecaster at MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: "At the moment, it is looking like temperatures will probably be a little bit above average (on the day) and there is a risk of heavy showers.
"Temperatures will probably be somewhere in the high teens but it is difficult to pin down so far ahead."
