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Weather Forecasters say there could be outbreaks of showers across the UK today & tomorrow in a Terrible start to the week and July. Conditions could get even worse by Thursday and Friday, as heavy and thundery showers are expected to develop. But it’s not all bad as a “hot air plume” is predicted to arrive on Saturday, bringing with it potential highs of 28C. There is a risk of a few isolated showers across southern England starting from later today, according to Meteogroup.
Pockets of rain will also spread into Northern Ireland, reaching north-west Scotland later on in the day. There will also be some light easterly winds Tonight is expected to be damp for some, with rain for Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England. Drizzle has also been predicted for north Wales, northern parts of the Republic of Ireland, and the Midlands of England. Tuesday will see cloud and rain continue to move east across Scotland and northern England.
The Met Office warned there may be outbreaks of heavy rain across the northern half of the UK on Wednesday. These showers could turn thundery by the end of the week. But the Weather Channel has forecast an explosion of heatwaves before the end of the summer.
HOT AIR PLUME
Leon Brown, head of meteorological operations on the Weather Channel, says the first “hot air plume” will arrive on Saturday. “After unprecedented June heat across Europe, four more periods people would call heatwaves are forecast in the UK this summer,” he told the Daily Express. “Each period would see maximum temperatures reach at least 28C, 5C above London’s 23C average summer maximum temperature.” Mr Brown predicts the heatwaves will come in waves, with the next arriving mid-July. He said: “These spells are forecast to occur like waves every two weeks or so, with the next hot spell in mid-July, then in early August, late August and early September. “Plumes of heat are forecast from Africa, bringing thunderstorms, with cooler Atlantic periods and some rain in between. “Maximum temperatures this summer from late July into early August have a good chance of reaching the mid-30s, with 35C certainly possible, due to the influence of heat from Africa.”
These predictions would see a return of the heatwave seen in June across the UK, when temperatures peaked at 35C. It came as a “tongue of fire” swept Europe, with roasting, dangerous highs of 46C in France. Experts warned the extreme highs were made at least five times more likely because of climate change, caused by earth-heating greenhouse gas emissions.
SUNSHINE AND SHOWERS AHEAD
However, the Met Office said it was impossible to accurately predict more than five days ahead – and said that highs of 28C this Saturday were unlikely. Becky Mitchell of the Met Office said: “We’re going to see some higher temperatures this week, starting off in the low 20s, and it will turn warmer during the rest of the week. “From Wednesday onwards we’ll see highs of 25C and a similar picture on Thursday. “At the moment it looks like temperatures will probably peak on Friday with highs of 26C, but at the weekend things might turn a little fresher, though it will likely stay in the low 20s.” Ms Mitchell said sunshine and showers would mark the rest of the week, with thunderstorms triggered by the humidity likely on Friday.
