UK weather: 'Thunder' forecast as maps show heatwave turning to rain after 30C scorcher
There are light showers in stores this weekend as this week’s hotter weather becomes a little wetter.
One expert said there could be thunder late on Wednesday, while maps from the Met Office show areas where lighter rainfall is expected from the morning of June 29 in Wales and in the northwest of England. There is also rain predicted across the Midlands later in the day as showers make their way across England and Scotland before settling towards the evening.
This is except for some spots of rain from Cornwall up to areas such as Oxford and parts of Buckinghamshire. Light rain is expected in small pockets across the country on Sunday. Hotter weather is expected again today following some areas reaching 30C, but temperatures are expected to cool afterwards.
Met Office weather map
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued yellow health alerts across most of England with older people in particular advised to avoid spending too much time in the sun. The alerts will remain in place until Thursday, when cooler temperatures are expected.
“Wednesday is a very warm day for many and we’re going to have top temperatures of 31C,” Met Office spokesperson Andrea Bishop said. “We then transition to fresher conditions looking very likely through Thursday as a weakening band of cloud and showery rain runs east, south-east, across the country through the day. Although it could still be very warm ahead of this, for example in the east or south east of England.”
Weather map
Jim Dale, Founder and Senior Meteorological Consultant at British Weather Services, told the Express that the UK could generally escape heavy rainfall this weekend. "There might be the odd thunderstorm as cooler air sneaks in,” he said. “Wednesday might see the odd crack of thunder going through from southern Scotland to the western Wales, Gloucestershire way.”
Mr Dale added there could be some storms in places on mainland Europe, such as Germany, possibly affecting Euro 2024 He said: "We'll escape it and be quite lucky in a way. It's a damp squib for us." Light showers are also expected in Glastonbury this week, as revellers attend Britain’s most famous music festival. On Wednesday, temperatures between 25C and 27C are expected.
Rain expected on July 1- weather map
This is the busiest day for arrivals on the Glastonbury site, with queues expected to line the roads surrounded Worthy Farm. Campers could face “light rain” and a “cold front” on Thursday, with an average temperature of 20C. The average is set to drop again to 18C on Friday, but there are slightly warmer averages likely on Saturday and Sunday - between 20C and 21C.