Showers threaten balcony kiss as Kate and William get ready to wed

Heavy showers could fall on Prince William and Kate Middleton's much-anticipated balcony kiss today, forecasters warned today.

Although temperatures could reach 20C in London for Prince William and Kate Middleton’s big day, there is a greater risk of rain as the early afternoon approaches.

William and his new bride are expected to appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace at 1.25pm.

Billy Payne, a forecaster for MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: “There’s a reasonable chance of a few heavy showers around at that time. We’re expecting temperatures of up to 20 degrees, which is quite pleasant for this time of year, but fairly brisk north-easterly winds should take the edge off.”

As wedding guests begin to arrive at Westminster Abbey from 8.15am it is likely to be cloudy, he said, but this will probably give way to sunny spells from the late morning.

However, there is also a higher chance that rain could fall on Kate Middleton as she steps from the limousine at 11am on her father’s arm to enter the abbey.

The forecaster added: “The later you go into the morning the higher the risk is of showers breaking out. Because the sun is quite strong, the showers will be heavy in nature with risk of thunder, particularly during the early afternoon.”

William and his bride are due to depart the abbey in an open-top 1902 State Landau (whether or not it rains) along a crowd-lined processional route and are due to arrive 20 minutes later at Buckingham Palace.

Hundreds of thousands of well-wishers are expected in London to applaud the couple and enjoy the party atmosphere.

The weather looks set to be kinder to other parts of the UK that have featured in the royal love story - at St Andrews in Fife, where the couple met as undergraduates, a wedding breakfast party with an expected 1,500 guests is forecast to be bathed in sunshine.

The wedding will also be shown on big screens outside the coffee shop at Balmoral Castle, near Ballater, Aberdeenshire.

One of the hottest UK spots promises to be in north-west Scotland where temperatures could hit 20C. Showers are predicted for Anglesey – where a series of celebratory events are scheduled.

William works there as a search and rescue helicopter pilot and that is where the couple will have their first marital home.

Parties in Kate Middleton’s home village of Bucklebury, Berkshire could also be hit by the same rain clouds threatening London.