Brits face a soggy bank holiday weekend as the Met Office warns that heavy rain and thunderstorms will sweep across 134 areas. Conditions are set to deteriorate following five near-consecutive heatwaves, bringing strong winds, cooler temperatures, and travel disruptions just as major UK festivals get underway.
Summer is exiting with a sharp atmospheric shift. Following an unusually warm season featuring five near-consecutive heatwaves that pushed temperatures threaten to hit 40C at various points, the UK is bracing for a late-summer washout according to the Met Office. The incoming rainfall offers official relief for a country where more than half of England alone is officially in drought, but the timing spells trouble for millions of holidaymakers and festival attendees.
Thunderstorm Trajectories and Weekend Rainfall Maps
Weather mapping data highlights a wet progression across the bank holiday weekend. The Met Office forecast points to heavy downpours soaking regions from the Midlands down to southern coasts, accompanied by lightning and gusty winds. The Mirror is now in a position to pinpoint the weather forecast across the bank holiday weekend as forecasters have issued striking maps, which show blue and green hues across large swathes of the country – and this means rain is likely.
On Saturday, August 29, thunderstorms are forecast to strike in West London and parts of the Home Counties on Saturday where as much as 4mm of rain could fall. Miserable conditions will also be felt in Birmingham and northern Wales where thunderstorms and similar rainfall is forecast, according to Ventusky. Weather maps for around 7pm also show thunderstorms in the Irish Sea and Isle of Man, where a hefty 8mm of rain is forecast. Northern Ireland will also feel the impact with between 4mm and 6mm falling on the region on Saturday. While much of northern England and Scotland will escape the worst of Saturday’s rain and thunderstorms, Dumfries and Galloway and South Ayrshire will see lesser amounts of rainfall. Other areas of the country will remain mostly dry.
Sunday, August 30 brings an intensified band of stormy weather. Thunderstorms will stretch up from the southern coast of England to the Midlands by 4pm on Sunday. Conditions will worsen for many Brits on Sunday with more thunderstorms being forecast across England, Wales and some areas of Scotland. A band of thunderstorms will stretch from the Isle of Wight up toward the Midlands with pockets of lightning being predicted for Yorkshire, Northumbria as of 4pm on Sunday, Ventusky weather maps show. Some 0.5mm to 6mm of rain is forecast to fall across England in the late afternoon with similar amounts falling in Wales. The norther-western coast of Wales will experience some thunderstorms while the Scottish Borders and Edinburgh will also see much of the same. Thunderstorms will continue in the UK, according to the 7pm weather map for Sunday. Fast forward three hours and Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and much of the North West of England will also find themselves under nasty thunderstorm clouds. Southern Wales will also be hit by lightning and rainfall. Meanwhile the Scottish borders will remain a hive of electrical activity. The majority of England and Wales will experience heavy rainfall averaging from 0.2mm in the South West, East Anglia and pockets of Kent and Essex while other regions could see as much as 4mm or 8mm.
Travel Challenges and Festival Disruptions Across Southern Regions
The strongest winds of the weekend are expected on Saturday across southern counties of England and Wales as well as the Channel Islands. Some hills and coasts could experience gusts of 40 to 50mph.
Travel and camping may be a challenge at times under these conditions. Monday will be a blustery day more widely across the UK, but again it will be southern areas seeing the strongest gusts – generally 30-40mph. The combination of wind and rain creates a cooler feeling spell of weather at times, with temperatures across the UK around 15 to 22 Celsius, a shade below the average for the time of year.
Major public events unfolding over the weekend must contend with the elements. With numerous festivals on this weekend, including Reading and Leeds, Creamfields and the Notting Hill Carnival it is worth keeping across the forecast.
The Long-Range Outlook Into Early September
The unstable pattern shows no sign of immediate retreat as August gives way to a new month. In its long-range forecast, the Met says in a statement:
The Met Office stated that the period would experience an unsettled start, as showers or longer spells of rain were possible across many parts of the UK, adding that some heavy rain was likely alongside the possibility of some thunderstorms.
It will likely remain changeable into early September, with rainfall amounts probably above average for the time year and the potential for some strong winds at times. However, some drier, more settled interludes could develop at times. While temperatures are likely to be near average, the agency notes although some short-lived warm or hot spells are possible, especially in the south.
