Mixed weather forecast for UK amid heatwave
Temperatures could reach around 29C in south-east England on Thursday and Friday, with similar conditions expected on Saturday.
Thunderstorms are predicted across parts of the UK throughout the week, bringing a risk of torrential downpours and potential weather warnings, especially in central and southern England and Wales over the weekend.
This weather pattern follows a brief reprieve from the summer's third heatwave and occurs amid warnings from the Environment Agency about potential drought conditions in more regions.
Despite the warmth, the Met Office indicates this period will be more akin to typical summer weather, with increased rainfall, unlike the highly impactful previous heatwave.
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The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Amber weather warning coming into force with dangerous thunderstorms on the way
An amber weather warning is coming into force and dangerous thunderstorms will hit the UK. This weekend's storms could cause flooding and pose a danger to life in some areas, the Met Office said. Buildings could be damaged by floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds, the forecaster said. Motorists have been urged to prepare. Heavy rain with some thunder could create 'fast flowing or deep floodwater, causing a danger to life' in the amber warning area, which spans the east and south east of England, including London, between 4am and 11am on Saturday. Between 20mm and 40mm of rain could fall in one hour in the amber warning zone, going up to 70mm to 100mm in just a few hours where heavy downpours persist. 'Torrential rain, with thunderstorms in places, could lead to some significant surface water flooding during Saturday morning,' the Met Office said. An ongoing deluge may cause 'significant impacts' if it hits 'more urban areas'. It is likely that homes and businesses will flood and that flooding could happen quickly, the Met Office said, adding that some communities may be cut off if roads flood. It is the first amber warning to be issued for London since January last year. The warning expands to most of England and some parts of southern Scotland from midnight to 9pm on Saturday. Forecasters said these storms could 'cause disruption in places'. 'Areas of heavy rain with embedded thunderstorms will move north-westwards across a large swathe of central and eastern England through Friday night into Saturday,' the Met Office said. It added: 'Rain will likely be torrential in places, bringing 20-30mm in less than an hour, with 60-90 mm in two to three hours possible in a few places.' Frequent lightning and localised surface water flooding are also possible. Chief Met Office meteorologist Andy Page said: 'Intense rainfall will impact parts of the UK as thunderstorms move in from France. 'A range of severe weather warnings have been issued, including an amber warning covering south-east England and London. 'The intense rainfall could lead to surface water flooding as well as frequent lightning and hail too. 'The situation is evolving, and warnings may be changed or added.' He added: 'This weekend is expected to be busy on the roads as more schools in England and Wales break up for the summer holidays, so it's important people keep up to date with the very latest forecast. 'There will be spells of more pleasant weather in parts of the UK through the weekend, with some sunny spells in between systems as they move through.' The persistent cloud and rain will keep the temperatures on Saturday relatively low. Maximum temperatures will mainly stay in the high teens to low 20Cs, but brighter spells in the south could reach the mid to high 20s. The most recent amber warning issued for London was for wind on January 2 2024, during Storm Henk which swept through central parts of England and Wales. The AA has urged drivers to prepare for disruption and take care on the roads. The breakdown service said: 'This amount of rain is well over a month's worth for a normal July. 'As well as heavy rain, impacts from frequent lightning, gusty winds and large hail are also likely. 'These storms could affect some of the popular holiday routes for early departures on this year's summer getaway. 'While localised flash flooding and the sudden appearance of surface water are the usual dangers associated with summer heavy rain, the potential for slippery road surfaces at junctions and roundabouts is a hidden menace.'
ITV News
2 hours ago
- ITV News
Amber weather warning coming into force with dangerous thunderstorms on the way
An amber weather warning is coming into force and dangerous thunderstorms will hit the UK. This weekend's storms could cause flooding and pose a danger to life in some areas, the Met Office said. Buildings could be damaged by floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds, the forecaster said. Motorists have been urged to prepare. Heavy rain with some thunder could create 'fast flowing or deep floodwater, causing a danger to life' in the amber warning area, which spans the east and south east of England, including London, between 4am and 11am on Saturday. Between 20mm and 40mm of rain could fall in one hour in the amber warning zone, going up to 70mm to 100mm in just a few hours where heavy downpours persist. 'Torrential rain, with thunderstorms in places, could lead to some significant surface water flooding during Saturday morning,' the Met Office said. An ongoing deluge may cause 'significant impacts' if it hits 'more urban areas'. It is likely that homes and businesses will flood and that flooding could happen quickly, the Met Office said, adding that some communities may be cut off if roads flood. It is the first amber warning to be issued for London since January last year. The warning expands to most of England and some parts of southern Scotland from midnight to 9pm on Saturday. Forecasters said these storms could 'cause disruption in places'. 'Areas of heavy rain with embedded thunderstorms will move north-westwards across a large swathe of central and eastern England through Friday night into Saturday,' the Met Office said. It added: 'Rain will likely be torrential in places, bringing 20-30mm in less than an hour, with 60-90 mm in two to three hours possible in a few places.' Frequent lightning and localised surface water flooding are also possible. Chief Met Office meteorologist Andy Page said: 'Intense rainfall will impact parts of the UK as thunderstorms move in from France. 'A range of severe weather warnings have been issued, including an amber warning covering south-east England and London. 'The intense rainfall could lead to surface water flooding as well as frequent lightning and hail too. 'The situation is evolving, and warnings may be changed or added.' He added: 'This weekend is expected to be busy on the roads as more schools in England and Wales break up for the summer holidays, so it's important people keep up to date with the very latest forecast. 'There will be spells of more pleasant weather in parts of the UK through the weekend, with some sunny spells in between systems as they move through.' The persistent cloud and rain will keep the temperatures on Saturday relatively low. Maximum temperatures will mainly stay in the high teens to low 20Cs, but brighter spells in the south could reach the mid to high 20s. The most recent amber warning issued for London was for wind on January 2 2024, during Storm Henk which swept through central parts of England and Wales. The AA has urged drivers to prepare for disruption and take care on the roads. The breakdown service said: 'This amount of rain is well over a month's worth for a normal July. 'As well as heavy rain, impacts from frequent lightning, gusty winds and large hail are also likely. 'These storms could affect some of the popular holiday routes for early departures on this year's summer getaway. 'While localised flash flooding and the sudden appearance of surface water are the usual dangers associated with summer heavy rain, the potential for slippery road surfaces at junctions and roundabouts is a hidden menace.'
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Wasps are back this summer in the UK – a lot of them
John Horsley was gardening when he felt a wasp crawl down his T-shirt."That stung me a few times in the back," he says. "It wasn't a pleasant experience."Part of the British Pest Control Association, John is well-versed in the problems wasps can cause gate-crashing picnics or beer gardens on a summer's day, and building bothersome a downtick in wasp callouts in recent summers, his industry has been busier than usual tackling problems caused by wasps this year, he says. These can include large nests appearing earlier in the are currently still raising their young, but later in the summer they tend to congregate in public areas seeking a sugary snack before they die. So is this shaping up to be a summer of the wasp? "We don't have plagues of insects," Mr Horsley explains. "But it seems that every few years, wasps will have a strong year and that commonly coincides with particular weather patterns – this year it's been very warm and very dry – it's been a very good year for them."The Met Office says we have had the warmest spring in more than 50 years. Last year, the UK had its coolest summer for nine of the world's leading wasp experts, Prof Seirian Sumner of University College London, cautions that scientific data on wasp numbers will not be released for a her gut feeling is that "all the signs are, based on the weather and other insect populations, it is going to be a good year for wasps". The UK has about 9,000 species of wasps - most of them solitary, meaning they don't live in large colonies and are generally not a nuisance to a small number are social wasps, such as the common wasp, Vespula vulgaris, which is most common for interacting with humans. According to a 2021 YouGov poll, they are the second most disliked insect in the UK, after the Prof Sumner and other wasp experts point out that wasps are not all bad."They are really important parts of the ecosystem – they're apex predators," she says."Take a top predator out of any system – like the lion out of Serengeti – it has knock-on effects in the prey populations that will then go unchecked by their predator."And wasps are free, natural pest controllers – so they are doing jobs in our gardens, in our wild landscapes, in our farming landscapes. They are helping keep pests at bay." Living alongside wasps - without being stung Nikki Banfield, of the insect charity Buglife, says we need to look after wasps."A lot of people don't like wasps, they class them as angry bees, but they have a really valid purpose in the natural world," she that wider natural world, recent studies show widespread declines in global insect populations, with some insect species being pushed towards loss is linked to intensive agriculture, pesticides and climate change, with far-reaching consequences for the many birds, amphibians, bats and reptiles that rely on insects for the common wasp appears to be bucking this trend – its population remaining stable over the past 100 years – along with houseflies, cockroaches and the European hornet, which is increasing across the UK and moving northward as the climate warms. Sightings of the invading Asian or yellow-legged hornet, which arrived in the UK in 2016, are also on the rise.And after a poor year for butterflies in 2024, naturalists say many common species, such as the Large White, also appear to be flourishing this summer.Ladybirds too, seem to be enjoying the warmer temperatures, according to luckily for the ecosystem – but perhaps unluckily for our picnics – wasps appear to be thriving here in the UK. How can we live alongside each other happily then?Ms Banfield suggests we leave something sweet, such as a small cap of jam or orange juice, a short distance from the picnic area to distract the practical tips include not screaming, flapping your arms or swatting at wasps, as this will agitate them and make them more stings can pose a public health risk – they can cause anaphylactic shock - Mr Horsley points out, so he has a word of advice."Don't disturb them. Try and stay away from them where possible, and, if it needs to be treated then speak to a professional," he says.
