UK heatwave over as Met Office warns of heavy rain hitting 9 areas this weekend
The Met Office says rain will be heavy, especially across Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Northwest of England, as the UK heatwave comes to an end this weekend
Heavy rain is forecast to sweep in across parts of the UK on Saturday(Image: MET OFFICE)
Britain’s scorching heatwave is poised to conclude – with torrential downpours predicted for Saturday. The Met Office says rainfall will be substantial, particularly across Scotland, Northern Ireland and sections of Northwest England.
Weather patterns will become increasingly unsettled heading into the weekend as Friday will see overcast skies across most of the nation. As much as 20mm of rain could fall in areas across Northern Ireland and western Scotland on Saturday.
The band of precipitation will gradually shift eastwards across the UK, though most of Southeast England should escape the wet weather until Sunday at the earliest.
The Met Office warned: “Into the weekend, conditions are expected to turn more changeable. After a brighter start for some on Saturday, especially in the east and southeast, cloud and outbreaks of rain are likely to spread from the west and move gradually eastwards. Rain will be heaviest in the northwest, while the southeast is expected to stay largely dry.
Temperatures will be near average in the northwest, but will remain above average in the southeast.” This shift signals the conclusion of the sweltering heatwave, during which temperatures soared beyond 35C.
The warmest location on Wednesday was Whitechurch in Pembrokeshire, south Wales, where the mercury hit 31.8C. Chris Bulmer, chief forecaster at the Met Office, stated: “We’re now starting to see this spell of very hot weather break down.
“While parts of the southeast could still reach highs of 32C on Thursday, many areas will begin to feel fresher conditions moving in through Friday and into the weekend as a weak cold front moves southeast and becomes more established across most of the UK by Saturday.”, reports the Mirror.
“As the heat starts to ease, the weather will also turn more changeable, with some showers and thunderstorms possible. By the weekend, temperatures should be much closer to average for the time of year with accompanying rainfall for many through the weekend and into the start of next week.”
Sunday is also expected to bring additional rounds of rain and showers, particularly across northern and western regions of the country, though brighter spells could appear further east, according to the Express.
The Met Office highlighted that the more unsettled weather pattern is likely to continue into next week, with temperatures gradually returning to typical levels after a period of record-breaking heat.
Areas facing heaviest rain on Saturday:
- Dumfries and Galloway
- East Ayrshire
- South Ayrshire
- Most of Northern Ireland
- Cumbria
- Lancashire
- Greater Manchester
- Merseyside
- Cheshire
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.
