UK to be saturated by 400-mile wide storm on Easter weekend

England has undergone its wettest 18 months since records began (Picture: PA)

Easter celebrations may be drenched next weekend as forecasters warn of heavy rain set to sweep across the UK.

England has undergone its wettest 18 months since records began in 1836, as southern areas recorded more than twice the average rainfall last month.

Sadly this is only set to continue, with the Met Office saying their long-range forecast everywhere is likely to be wet from Friday march 29 to Monday April 1.

They said: ‘Through the bank holiday weekend and into the following week, unsettled or changeable weather remains the most likely outcome.

‘All areas are likely to see further rain or showers at times, with some drier spells in between.

‘Wet weather will tend to favour the southwest, while northern parts remain a bit drier on average.’

A 400 mile-wide storm from the US is travelling 4,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean to bring 60 mph winds and heavy rain in the two weeks leading up to Easter.

It already caused tornadoes and huge five-inch hailstones in Oklahoma, but the storm will stark spinning across the Atlantic to begin soaking the north and west of the UK from Monday evening.

The unpleasant weather will bring two more weeks of rain after we’ve had to endure the wettest 12 months in 153 years.

The Environment Agency said the year to the start of March had been the wettest in England since 1871, and rainfall so far this month is double the normal rate in the south of England.

A Met Office forecaster said: ‘The system responsible for the storms in the USA is heading towards Western Europe.

‘It will turn wet and windy later on Monday, with showery rain and brisk winds on Tuesday.

‘There still be further rain for most areas on Wednesday and Thursday, with strong winds, especially along coasts.

‘Through Friday and the weekend, northwesterly winds will bring a mixture of sunny spells and showers, some heavy.

‘The week to March 31 has unsettled conditions probably in the south, with the north drier but colder.’

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