The UK is set to bask in scorching temperatures of up to 30C in a mini-heatwave at the end of a truly wet July.
Despite heavy rainfall and weather warnings earlier this month, London along with the south-east can expect the mercury to shoot up on Friday, July 19, before returning to cooler conditions on Sunday.
Met Office spokesperson Nicola Maxey said that night-time temperatures could linger in the low 20s for some parts in the south-east officially pinning them as ‘tropical nights’ if it never drops below 20C.
Highlighting the potential health concerns this might pose for the elderly or vulnerable, she also threw in some uncertainty about exactly when and where the milder conditions would swoop in, hinting that the south-east might cling onto its heat a tad longer.
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Meanwhile, parts of the country have already smashed their average rainfall figures for July – and we’re only halfway through the month.
Ms Maxey explained that England reached 97 per cent of July’s average rainfall between just July 1 and 15. Wales had 65 per cent, Scotland 49 per cent and Northern Ireland 47 per cent.
London has been particularly damp, hitting 154 per cent of its July average. Dorset was similarly soggy at 120 per cent.
However, Edinburgh has managed to stay relatively dry with only 40 per cent and Dundee even drier at 33 per cent.
Ms Maxey said: “There are quite big regional differences but overall it’s looking like a wet month so far.”
There is a caveat that, with a dry couple of weeks, by the end of the month things could even themselves out. “.
She explained that it’s often two or three heavy downpours that contribute to much of a place’s July rainfall totals, rather than an extended spell of rain.
St Swithin’s Day on Monday, traditionally believed to set the tone for the following 40 days’ weather, turned out to be another soggy day for most of England and Wales.
However, the Met Office has forecasted ‘changeable’ conditions for next week, as opposed to solely wet weather, with temperatures expected to be around the seasonal average.
