Rain, Rain, Go Away: Met Office says temperatures could hit 80F by Thursday across the country…before showers and thunderstorms return again by the weekend
- Temperatures are set to soar later this week to highs of 28C in some areas
Britain is set for another grey, murky day filled with drizzle and rain showers before temperatures rocket later this week for the first time in weeks.
The Met Office revealed yesterday that Britons would finally get a respite from stormy weather and get some sunshine after one of the rainiest Julys on record and this weekends Storm Antoni that saw flash floods in some parts of the country.
The mercury is set to soar to highs of 25C (77F) tomorrow, with the forecaster suggesting temperatures may rise again on Thursday to 28C (82F).
Those living in Reading and the east of London are expected to see the hottest temperatures in the country.
Today, however, will see patches of rain and drizzle scattering across the South while the North will be treated to a dry day filled with sunshine.
Britain is set for another grey and drizzly day before temperatures are set to rocket later this week. Pictured: A woman shelters from the rain as she walks over Westminster Bridge
A woman shelters from the rain using her denim jacket while walking over Westminster Bridge
In Yorkshire firefighters had to respond to flash flooding over the weekend that occurred in just hours
Much of the south east will see patches of rain and cloud today while northern regions will experience a sunnier day
Later this week, however, temperatures will soar. Some parts of the UK will see temperatures reach as hot as 25C on Thursday afternoon
Yesterday Londoners and tourists alike were treated to a sunny day in the capital, after weeks of wet and windy weather across the UK
Others headed to the beach in Studland, Dorset, to make the most of the dry weather conditions
Temperatures will remain relatively mild ranging from 12C (53F) to 18C (64F) before the skies clear overnight giving way to warmer temperatures later this week.
The warm weather will be the first time that the UK will have seen highs above 25C (77F) since earlier last month, which saw the wettest July on record in some areas.
Grahame Madge, Met Office spokesperson, told MailOnline: ‘The largely unsettled theme of the UK’s weather remains in place, with the exception of Thursday when a brief ridge of high pressure becomes established.
‘This will bring the nicest day’s weather for some time with temperatures widely exceeding 25C with some places in the south and east reaching a degree or two higher than this.
‘This brief interlude will be interrupted by the passage of another front bringing rain and a return to unsettled conditions during Friday. The weekend’s forecast will contain a mixture of brighter spells and showers.’
Brighter conditions are expected tomorrow, with the south east seeing a ‘murky day’ today.
The rest of the UK is forecast to have a drier day on Tuesday with isolated showers mainly confined to the northern parts of Scotland.
The band of cloud and rain across the South is expected to clear its way eastward on Wednesday and temperatures could start to increase to highs of 23C (73F) or 24C (75F) across the South-East.
The worst of the rain will hit London and the south east today. Pictured: Two women walking over Westminster Bridge
The severe flash flooding at Rachel Morgan’s home, 41, from Loftus, North Yorkshire, is the second time this has happened
A surfer decides to hit the waves in Longsands beach on the North East coast despite the rain
The miserable weather comes after the country saw one of the wettest Julys on record. Pictured: Two people scramble to pull over ponchos to shelter from the drizzle on Westminster Bridge
Brollies were out this morning as Londoners battled with the rain as they walked towards Westminster
A group of people wearing ponchos and huddling under umbrellas walk over Westminster Bridge
Two women, one holding a Union Jack umbrella, walk over Westminster Bridge in the rain
Temperatures could then reach high 20s in southern parts of the UK on Thursday and the mercury is expected to stay above 20 degrees across most of the country.
But heavier showers and thunderstorms could appear in the north of the country as soon as Thursday evening and Friday morning.
Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin added: ‘Warmer weather is on the way this week but Tuesday will still be pretty cool for most areas.
‘A bit of a north south split with the weather really for Tuesday with a lot of cloud in the south, something brighter further north.
‘A few heavy ones across the far north, only slowly easing and down to the south west, cloud and rain and drizzle.’
The warmer conditions seen in the middle of the week will provide a brief respite before more unsettled weather returns.
From Saturday, showery conditions are likely to return possibly merging into longer spells of rain for some parts of the country, the Met Office said.
The heaviest and most frequent showers will most likely be seen in the northwest while the southeast will experience the most sunshine and least amount of rain.
A car forcing its way through floodwaters in Wells, Somerset on Wednesday afternoon
Floods were seen in Loftus, North Yorkshire, on Saturday, leaving residents furious with the town’s drainage system
Britons will finally get to bask in summer-like heat after having battled hours of torrential rain, gale force winds and flood warnings last week. Pictured: People sheltering with an umbrella at a waterlogged Wimbledon Common in south London on Saturday
Into next week, changeable conditions are likely continue the forecaster said, with a mixture of showers and longer spells of rain. Thundery conditions may also be expected at times.
Heavy downpours last month stopped shoppers hitting the high streets, the latest figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said this morning.
Total UK retail sales increased by just 1.5 per cent – even taking into account high inflation – over the four weeks to July 29.
This was a marked downturn from the previous July’s 2.3 per cent growth and below the three-month average of 3.5 per cent.
Experts said the washout weather gave consumers no reason to restock their summer wardrobes, with all categories of clothing falling into negative sales territory.
The unsettled weather hitting the UK over the past month has been a stark contrast to the extreme heat that has hit much of Europe, which saw back-to-back heatwaves during record-breaking temperatures that caused wildfires across the Greek islands of Rhodes and Corfu.
Last month was the wettest July in Britain since 2009, with 140.1mm (5.5in) of rain falling – 170 per cent of the average amount.
Over the weekend Storm Antoni – which saw 78mph winds and trees blown down – caused floods and misery across the country, causing the Met Office to put weather warnings in place for parts of England and Wales.
A person attempts to surf next to the Palace Pier in Brighton as Storm Antoni brought rain and high winds to the UK over the weekend
A man walks with his umbrella alongside Rushmere Lake on Wimbledon Common as a downpour brought by Storm Antoni falls
A person stands close to the rough seas near Newhaven Lighthouse as Storm Antoni approaches
The storm was the first to hit the UK that has been severe enough to be named since February.
Homes were evacuated amid the torrential rain and strong winds, with entire streets being flooded in parts of the country such as North Yorkshire.
It saw a danger to life alert being issued for Saturday during an amber wind warning that covered south-western areas of both England and Wales.
Lisa Vickery, who owns MacDonald’s Farm campsite near Padstow, told BBC Radio Cornwall ‘quite a few’ visitors had left due to rain or cancelled at the last minute.
‘Everyone wakes up praying that today’s going to be a dry day, but we’ve never seen weather like this in the four years we’ve been here,’ she said.
Up the coast in East Prawle, Devon, one camper was considering going back home after recovering from a ‘horrific night’.
He said: ‘The tent could cope with the rain – but not the gales. I have four children… they abandoned the tent to sleep in the car.’
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