Cooler temperatures and unseasonal wet weather are likely to persist in the UK for two more weeks as summer sunshine remains elusive, the Met Office has said.
The national weather service on Wednesday issued yellow alerts for thunderstorms, rain and strong winds that will impact large parts of the country, as the great summer washout of 2023 continues.
The alert for thunderstorms in London, Manchester, much of the Midlands and Wales will remain in effect until 7pm on Wednesday. Some parts of the country will see 40mm of rainfall due to an unseasonably deep area of low pressure for this time of year, the forecaster added.
A warning was also issued for southern England, with “unseasonably windy weather” predicted between 4pm and 6pm as Britons braced for some disruption to travel and outdoor activities.
“The low will pull away eastwards from the UK during Wednesday evening and night, leaving a calmer day on Thursday though some heavy showers could persist in the east,” Met Office chief meteorologist Dan Suri said.
So far, August has continued much the same way as last month, the sixth wettest July on record. Areas such as Preston, Lancashire, and Castlederg in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, reported their wettest July since records began, according to the BBC
In contrast, much of southern Europe is still recovering from a severe heatwave that triggered wildfires in Greece, Spain, and Italy.
According to the Met Office, the washout summer in England will continue for at least another 10 days, with warmer and drier conditions becoming “slightly more likely than the unseasonably unsettled weather of July” during the second half of August.
Friday may see a brief spell of better weather – especially in the country’s west – but the rain will return over the weekend, a spokesperson told The Independent. Sunday is predicted to be better than Saturday, with some sunshine forecast as temperatures remain cooler than usual.
From 6-15 August, temperatures will continue to be mostly below average for this time of the year (around 20C), “although they should start to recover through the period”.
“The greatest chance of seeing anything more widely settled is the second-part of August, with warmer and drier conditions becoming more likely,” they added, when temperatures are forecast to rise to average, or slightly above average. However, this change might be accompanied by an increasing risk of thundery showers.
“Unsettled conditions are never too far away and so there will likely still be some spells of rain or showers for many areas from time to time,” the spokesperson said.
As a result, the UK is unlikely to endure any prolonged periods of dry or hot weather as seen in Europe.
It’s a stark contrast to this time last year, when an unprecedented heatwave gripped the UK. Temperature records were shattered as Britain sweltered in 40C heat.
For the last part of the month, between 19 August and 2 September, the Met Office said: “A changeable pattern is most probable through the latter part of August and into early September. This is likely to bring a mixture of some dry, settled weather but also some spells of wetter, more unsettled conditions.
“There is a risk of some heavy rain or thunderstorms at times. Temperatures are expected to be close to average for the time of the year, but some warmer spells are also possible.”
