Mon. Nov 25th, 2024
alert-–-brits-brace-for-a-weekend-washout-with-showers-across-the-country-as-temperatures-fall-to-17c-(and-rain-threatens-play-at-wimbledon-again)Alert – Brits brace for a weekend washout with showers across the country as temperatures fall to 17C (and rain threatens play at Wimbledon again)

Britons are enduring a weekend washout with heavy rain falling over much of the country and temperatures 7C (45F) cooler than average for the time of year.

The Met Office issued a warning for the worst-hit areas which face up to two inches (50mm) of rain in 12 hours – and there could even be thunderstorms tomorrow.

Play at Wimbledon is likely to be disrupted by showers throughout the day, while qualifying for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone is also expected to be wet.

Conditions throughout the weekend will be changeable and unseasonably cool, with the jet stream firmly to the south of the UK and low pressure in charge.

Motorists were warned of difficult driving conditions in parts of Aberdeenshire, Moray and the Highlands today, where a weather warning is in place until 10am.

Meteorologists expect possible flooding and travel disruption in an area covering Stonehaven, Aberdeen, Fraserborough, Banff, Elgin, Alness, Inverness and Aviemore.

Intense rain is predicted to fall during a 12-hour period overnight into this morning, causing surface water and spray on roads, before the rain eases and becomes showery.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has issued five flood alerts for much of northern Scotland including Aberdeenshire, Caithness and Easter Ross.

Homes and businesses could be affected as river water levels rise, while speed restrictions were imposed on some parts of the ScotRail network due to strong winds,

The gloomy forecast follows near-freezing temperatures in some rural areas of Scotland this week and the appearance of a blanket of snow at Glen Coe.

Met Office chief meteorologist Frank Saunders said an area of ‘heavy and quite persistent rain’ developed across parts of North and North East Scotland last night. 

He added that this would turn showery this morning, but continued: ‘It is possible that 20 to 30mm of rain is likely to fall quite widely in around 12 hours, but there could even be up to 50mm in a few areas.’

Elsewhere, overnight a band of heavy rain moved northwards from South West England to central and eastern England, resulting in wet roads and spray.

Further heavy showers are also expected in parts of northern and western Wales.

Once the overnight rain clears, the forecast is for a generally unsettled and cool weekend, with almost all areas expected to see showers – some potentially heavy and thundery – at some point.

Temperatures are generally expected to be below average for the time of year, but may reach 19C (66F) in some areas during sunny spells.

However London is not expected to get above 17C (63F) both today and tomorrow.

Into next week, Monday is likely to bring further changeable weather.

However, there will be fewer showers with the heaviest ones confined to parts of Scotland.

But thickening cloud and rain is likely to arrive across south-western areas during the day, heralding more widely unsettled conditions for most parts.

Temperatures are again most likely to be around, or a little below average for the time of year, but some warmer conditions are possible in the South East.

It comes after the UK saw less rainfall than expected in June but the average temperature across the month was below 13C, despite the recent mini-heatwave in some areas.

The Met Office said 55.1mm of rain fell across the country last month, 29 per cent less than the long-term average, while Wales and England saw around half of their expected average amounts.

But this did not seem to translate into more generally warmer weather as the average UK mean temperature for June was 12.9C, which was 0.4C below the long-term meteorological average.

The lower June temperatures are in stark contrast to those seen the month prior, where an average temperature of 13.1C saw the warmest May in records dating back to 1884.

It also comes after the UK had its wettest spring since 1986 and the sixth wettest on record.

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