THE Bournemouth Air Festival is just days away and after one of the warmest and driest summers in recent memory, visitors and organisers will be hoping for a weekend of sunshine.

Since its inception the event has experienced its fair share of inclement weather.

The start of the 2011 air festival was pushed back a day after the Thursday was a complete washout with flash flooding across the town centre.

This year’s event starts on Thursday, September 1, with a busy schedule up to late afternoon on Sunday, September 4.

At present the Met Office weather forecast looks mixed for the four-day spectacle of aerobatic brilliance.

Thursday is expected to be dry with sunny intervals among the clouds and highs of 23C.

The forecast has Friday as wall-to-wall sunshine throughout the day although slightly cooler with temperatures peaking at 21C.

Things could start to turn on Saturday with a cloudy day expected and currently a chance of the odd shower, particularly in the morning. The temperature is predicted to peak at 19C.

Heavier rain is possible overnight and early on Sunday, with showers on the table throughout the day. The temperatures could continue their steady decline with the forecast currently listing highs of 17C.

Assessing the forecast for the week and into the weekend, local weather enthusiast Bournemouth & Poole Weather said: “The weather for the next few days closes out meteorological summer on a fine note, plenty of sun and temperatures in the low to mid 20s will make it feel extremely pleasant.

“As we move into Thursday pressures falls from north west. There’s still some uncertainty on how far west this low pressure will be, currently it looks far enough west to give a mainly fine and very warm Thursday and Friday, temps possibly up to 25-27C.

“Saturday and Sunday look cooler with some showery rain at times and given high surface sea temperatures and lower pressure low cloud could become a problematic for displays.

“However that is a long way off and if low pressure forms further east it’s possible conditions could deteriorate even quicker through Friday so another 24 to 48 hours likely needed to firm up on details for the weekend.”