Latest news with #southernUK
Sky News
5 days ago
- Climate
- Sky News
Heavy showers at weekend could match May's total rainfall
England could face almost as much rainfall in a few hours on Saturday as it had for the whole of May, according to the Met Office. Forecasters said around 30mm of rain could fall in just three hours in southern parts of the UK, with hail and thunder possible. Up to 50mm of rain could fall over the course of the day. Find out the forecast for your area Met Office data shows England had 32.8mm of rain last month, almost half the month's usual average. It has forecast heavier and more frequent showers on Saturday, as well as some unseasonably strong winds in coastal areas, with a risk of surface-water flooding. Sunday seems like it will be drier, before more rain in northern England on Monday. Meteorologist Honor Criswick said low pressure was behind the wet weather. "At the north of the country this brings in a north-westerly wind, so gradually drags in frontal systems out from the west and south-west, and that leads to some pretty changeable and wet weather at times," she said. 'Changeable' weather ahead The weather for the rest of the week will be "changeable", Met Office spokesperson Andrea Bishiop said. "Generally the theme is the continuation of something a bit cooler, a bit breezy at times, and a bit wet at times too," she said. "We are keeping an eye on a new front which looks like it will move in on Friday night, bringing rain which could be heavy, and possibly thundery at times on Saturday. "Rainfall totals of 20-30mm are likely in places and, at present, this looks like it will affect the southern half of the UK. We are keeping a close eye on this to see how it evolves over the next 24 hours or so."
The Independent
5 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Heavy showers on Saturday could match May's total rainfall
Heavy showers could bring almost as much rainfall in a few hours on Saturday as England had for the whole of May, according to the Met Office. Forecasters said about 30mm of rain could fall in just three hours in southern parts of the UK, with up to 50mm over the course of the day. Met Office data shows England had 32.8mm of rain last month, almost half the month's usual average. They have forecast heavier and more frequent showers on Saturday, with hail and thunder possible and some unseasonably strong winds in coastal areas. There could also be a risk of surface-water flooding. From June 1 to June 3 there has already been 10.7mm of rain, a fifth of the 50.9mm recorded for the UK during May. Sunday looks to be drier and the better day of the weekend, before further rain in northern England on Monday. Meteorologist Honor Criswick said the wet weather was because of low pressure. She said: 'At the north of the country this brings in a north-westerly wind, so gradually drags in frontal systems out from the west and south-west, and that leads to some pretty changeable and wet weather at times.' Met Office spokeswoman Andrea Bishop said the weather for the rest of the week would be 'changeable'. She said: 'Generally the theme is the continuation of something a bit cooler, a bit breezy at times, and a bit wet at times too. 'We are keeping an eye on a new front which looks like it will move in on Friday night, bringing rain which could be heavy, and possibly thundery at times on Saturday. 'Rainfall totals of 20-30mm are likely in places and, at present, this looks like it will affect the southern half of the UK. We are keeping a close eye on this to see how it evolves over the next 24 hours or so.' Next week temperatures will rise to above average for the time of year, with highs of 25C next Wednesday in London and 23C in Manchester. The National Farmers' Union (NFU) said the change in weather would be welcomed by many farmers. Rachel Hallos, NFU vice president, said: 'After such a dry start to the year, this weekend's rainfall will be welcome in many areas. 'However, heavy downpours aren't the ideal way to restore soil moisture, what farmers really need is steady, consistent rainfall to support crops and grazing without causing run-off or damaging soils. 'These changing weather patterns, from long dry periods to intense bursts of rain, highlight the need for long-term planning and investment in water, particularly the water we need to produce the food we enjoy. 'Things like rainwater harvesting and more flexible abstraction rules are important steps in adapting to these new conditions.' Luke Hindle, duty manager for National Highways, urged drivers to plan journeys carefully. He said: 'Rainfall makes the surface of the road slippery, so increase the gap between yourself and the vehicle in front and keep your eyes on the road at all times as visibility can be reduced.'
The Independent
6 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Heavy rain and thunder could hit parts of UK this week
Changeable weather is forecast this week, with a chance of heavy rain and thunder hitting parts of the UK, the Met Office said. Showers will be seen across all areas of the UK at some point this week, with a continuation of cooler and 'a bit breezy' weather, the forecaster said. And on Friday night a new weather front will bring rain, which potentially could be heavy and thundery at times on Saturday, Met Office spokesperson Andrea Bishop said. The Met Office is keeping an eye on the weather front, which will affect the southern half of the UK where rainfall totals of between 20-30mm are likely, she said. But next week temperatures are set to rise to just above average for the time of year. Ms Bishop said: 'The weather will be changeable for the rest of this week, with everyone likely to see some showers at some point. 'Generally, the theme is the continuation of something a bit cooler, a bit breezy at times, and a bit wet at times too. 'We are keeping an eye on a new front which looks like it will move in on Friday night, bringing rain which could be heavy, and possibly thundery at times on Saturday. 'Rainfall totals of 20-30mm are likely in places and at present, this looks like it will affect the southern half of the UK. We are keeping a close eye on this to see how it evolves over the next 24 hours or so.' Next week, the forecast is still changeable, but temperatures will start to move towards normal by Tuesday and rise to just above average by Wednesday, the forecaster added.
