Will the weather stay dry enough for us to enjoy our new found freedoms?

Beer gardens were heaving in Salisbury on Monday on the first day of 'unlocking', with life starting to return to something like normality in the city centre and socially distanced crowds of customers supporting pubs.

It was just as well the weather was dry enough, given the efforts landlords had gone to provide new and improved outdoor spaces across the area.

But will it stay that way?

A week of renewed freedom

April 12 allowed the hospitality industry to reopen for the first time in months, but with venues only permitted to serve food or drink outdoors in line with the Government's 'road map' out of lockdown.

There are other rules we must still remember, too.

The 'rule of six' is still in force, meaning customers can meet up in groups of six - or two households, whichever is greater.

Punters must order from their table and stay seated - enabling social distancing.

And new test and trace rules mean everyone over 16-years-old must sign in before going into pubs, cafés or restaurants, unlike last year when just one member of a group needed to do this.

Nevertheless, it has been uplifting to see life return to businesses this week.

Salisbury weekend weather forecast

The return of pubs is all very well but what will the weather look like at the weekend - the first since pubs reopened - and should punters grab their coats and scarves before heading out to a beer garden?

Here is the weather forecast throughout the weekend of April 17-18 in Salisbury as it stands, according to the Met Office.

Saturday (April 17)

1am

Clear night, 4C, chance of precipitation <5%

4am

Clear night, 2C, chance of precipitation <5%

7am

Sunny day, 2C, chance of precipitation <5%

10am

Sunny day, 8C, chance of precipitation <5%

1pm

Sunny day, 11C, chance of precipitation <5%

4pm

Sunny day, 12C, chance of precipitation <5%

7pm

Sunny day, 11C, chance of precipitation <5%

10pm

Partly cloudy, 6C, chance of precipitation <5%

Sunday (April 18)

1am

Clear night, 4C, chance of precipitation <5%

4am

Clear night, 3C, chance of precipitation <5%

7am

Sunny day, 2C, chance of precipitation <5%

10am

Sunny day, 9C, chance of precipitation <5%

1pm

Sunny intervals, 12C, chance of precipitation <5%

4pm

Cloudy, 13C, chance of precipitation <10%

7pm

Cloudy, 11C, chance of precipitation <10%

10pm

Cloudy, 7C, chance of precipitation <5%