UK weather: Huge band of rain set to break up sweltering British summer
A band of rain is set to sweep across the UK today
Met Office/PA
Britain’s current scorching 30C heat wave will be cut short as a band of rain is set to sweep across the UK.
Much of England is covered by a four-day heat health alert that was issued jointly by the Met Office and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). It began on June 24 and ends today at 5pm.
Balmy temperatures of between 25C and 29C have been recorded across the UK this week, with the Met Office earlier predicting that there would be “plenty of sunny spells” and “very warm sunshine”.
Yesterday was the hottest day of the year so far, with 30.3C mercury being recorded at London’s Heathrow Airport.
A band of rain is set to sweep across the UK todayMet Office/PAHowever, the scorching weather is sadly set to end, with the weather office saying that “unseasonably windy conditions” can be expected in regions of the UK from today.
In northwest Scotland, heavy outbreaks of rain are likely, whilst in the west of England, rain and brisk winds will spread.
Paul Gundersen, a Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “A cold front will sweep down from the northwest to the southeast over the next 24 hours, bringing with it cooler air and an end of the very warm weather many have been experiencing in recent days.
“A band of patchy rain, which could be heavy in the far northwest at first, will move east across England and Wales, bringing temperatures closer to average. It will still be very warm in the far southeast on Thursday, but the cooler air will arrive by the evening, and then all places will enjoy a much cooler night than of late.”
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The weather office has said 'unseasonably windy conditions' can be expected in regions of the UK from today
Met Office
The national forecaster added: “It will be unseasonably windy in the northern half of the UK on Thursday, with gales affecting coasts and hills of Scotland and Northern Ireland, and gusts of 30 to 35mph inland as far south as northern England and north Wales.”
The strong winds will make the mercury feel cooler than it is, and severe gales are likely at higher locations.
As the weekend begins, showers are expected in both the north and Scotland, with a cool breeze accompanying them.
Met Office shows a massive band of rain approaching Britain from Monday
Met Office
In northwest Scotland, heavy outbreaks of rain are likely, whilst in the west of England, rain and brisk winds will spread
PAHowever, in the south, the weather will interchange between cloudy and sunny spells, though the weather will typically stay warm and dry.
Earlier this week, Jim Dale, meteorologist for British Weather Services, said: “There may be dribs and drabs of rain and thunder during the start of the week, but it is Friday when things are really expected to fall apart.
“There is the potential for some very heavy rainfall and thunderstorms, and this risk will last into the weekend.
“It is then likely to turn cooler, with Saturday looking like the real demarcation point between the hot spell and a return to more usual conditions.”
According to the Met Office outlook over the weekend: "Some rain across the north with strong winds across the north and sunny spells further south through the weekend.
"Turing cloudier with rain moving in from the west on Monday."
It adds in a long-range forecast from July 1 that "The outlook period appears to be largely unsettled, with occasional bands of rain moving in from the west or northwest."
However, it adds that "there will be a good deal of dry, warm, and settled weather in between frontal systems, with the best conditions most likely in the south and east where winds will be lighter."