Forecasters say Isle of Man TT organisers will have their work cut out next week due to the unpredictability of the weather.

After a couple of months of largely glorious sunshine – the Ronaldsway Met Office says there has been 75 hours more sunshine this spring than the whole of last summer – the rain is set to return later on Friday.

Indeed, in typical fashion, the arrival of the wet weather is going to coincide almost exactly at the time of the start of the pre-TT Classic at Billown this evening.

From then on, the Isle of Man can expect unsettled weather which is set to last throughout the TT fortnight.

Earlier this week, the Met Office confirmed unsettled weather was set to return and that prediction has not changed with practices about to start.

Forecaster Neil Young has confirmed the picture for the week ahead is unsettled.

He said: ‘About the time the first practice starts this evening at Billown, it will start raining.

‘It looks like could be a very difficult week next week and everyone involved in the TT will have to work very hard to fit everything in.

‘There will be a mobile westerly which means once a weather system comes through there will be showers behind. This will be a nightmare as the rain could last a couple of hours and move on before another weather front appears.

‘There will also be issues with fog and mist as the warmer air will create low cloud.’

Mr Young explained it is difficult to predict exactly when the rain will arrive more than a day ahead.

He said: ‘If I predict there will be rain at 10am the next day but it arrives at 9.30am or 10.30am I will be reasonably happy. But if you project that same level of accuracy days ahead that half an hour can become a few hours.’

Mr Young says the Met Office works closely with the TT organisers.

‘Over the two weeks we will work through contingency planning with the organisers,’ he said. ‘Sometimes we will be in contact several times a day.’

Today will be dry for much of the day but rain will arrive in the evening. There are top temperatures of 15C.

There will be outbreaks of rain and drizzle throughout the day with highs of 16C. It will be mixed on Sunday with sunshine and showers and highs of 14C.

It will be a similar story on Monday for the first day of TT practice but there will be prolonged spells of rain later in the afternoon and evening with highs of 14C.

Again, Tuesday should start off dry but raining developing later with a chance of hill fog. There will be highs of 16C.

Don’t miss issue one of TT News free inside this week’s Manx Independent - on sale now.