A tornado could hit parts of the UK, forecasters have warned as rain battered the south following the driest start to spring in nearly six decades. The Environment Agency previously warned of the risk of drought this summer without sustained rainfall, with millions of households told they may face restrictions on water use in the coming months.
As of Friday, 80.6mm of rain had been recorded for the UK this spring, nearly 20mm less than the record low for the full season of 100.7mm set in 1852. On Wednesday, Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said: “Bit of a north-south split in our weather through today – northern parts having a lot of fine, sunny weather, meanwhile in the south we’ve seen some wet weather push its way in… and there will be further showery bursts to come as we go through the rest of today.”
He said there is a risk of thunder, lightning and hail in the UK’s southern regions. “It’s not out of the question that we could see a funnel cloud, maybe even a brief tornado across parts of the South East,” he added.
Thursday is set to be a drier day, with a few showers possible across parts of the South West. “But these won’t be as intense as the showery bursts that we’ll have seen through today,” Mr Burkill said. “There will again be a good amount of sunshine on offer.”
Friday is also expected to be “mostly fine” but the weekend may bring some wet and windy weather. “A real change from what we’ve become used to so far this spring,” Mr Burkill said.
Forecast for London
Today (Wednesday):
A mostly cloudy start with patchy rain gradually easing through the morning. By the afternoon, brighter spells will develop from the north, but expect heavy, scattered showers and a risk of thunderstorms. Temperatures will peak around 20 °C , feeling warm in sunny spells with light winds. Into tonight, showers will fade this evening, leaving behind mostly clear skies. It will be a cooler night than recently, with lows around 4 °C . Some fog patches could form overnight, especially in southern areas.
Thursday:
A sunny start with cloud building during the morning, bringing some light rain or drizzle , especially from the north. Skies will turn brighter again by late afternoon or evening. There may be isolated showers in the south. Temperatures will reach around 18 °C , remaining on the warm side.
Outlook for Friday to Sunday:
-
Friday: Dry and fine with sunshine and some patchy fair-weather cloud.
-
Saturday: Overcast with a few light showers pushing in from the west, especially in the afternoon and evening. Turning breezier.
-
Sunday: Breezy with sunny spells, variable cloud, and the chance of a few isolated showers, mostly in the morning.
Overall: Warm and often dry, but increasingly changeable by the weekend.
25 May – 3 June
The Met Office said: “A much more unsettled period than of late with the whole of the UK likely to see showers or some longer spells of rain, but also some drier and brighter interludes. For Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday it’s likely a story of sunshine and showers. The east, especially the southeast may well see a good deal of dry weather. The rest of the week then sees further frontal systems run into the UK, bringing more widespread rain at times, but again some drier spells in-between these. Temperatures will probably be close to average, perhaps slightly above at times, but will feel fairly cool in the often strong winds.”
Looking for more from MyLondon? Subscribe to our daily newsletters here for the latest and greatest updates from across London.
