Downpours dampen the holiday revelry
VIOLENT thunderstorms will bring an explosive end to the bank holiday before hot weather returns later this week.
Alerts for torrential rain have been issued across southern Britain where more than an inch-and-a-half of rain could fall in an hour.
Searing heat which pushed thermometers towards the 86F (30C) mark over the past few days will erupt into thunder, lightning and tropical downpours. And yesterday sunshine started giving way to the rain.
A cooler couple of days will follow with temperatures returning to normal for the time of year to start the working week.
Intense
But already two teenagers drowned during the heatwave.
On Friday a 19-year-old from Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, died after diving from a waterfall on the River Swale to cool off.
On Thursday Robbie Lea, 17, died at a lake in Cheshunt, Herts, despite a rescue operation involving air ambulance pilot Prince William.
The Met Office has issued a severe weather warning for intense, thundery deluges in the South today. While Scotland and the North will escape the heaviest showers, much of the region could see persistent rain throughout today, it said.
Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said thermometers will hover around the mid-60s in the South while the North will be much cooler.
He said that after a fresher interlude tomorrow and Wednesday the have mercury will rise again towards the weekend. He added: “The South will see the heaviest downpours on Monday as thundery conditions move up from France.” One-and-a-half inches of rain was expected in just one hour.
Southern regions will be warmer with highs of up to 77F whereas the North will stay between 55F and 59F – around average for the time of year.
Mr Petagna said: “It is generally going be quite warm and humid, and it is not until Tuesday that we will start to see fresher conditions.”
Towards the end of the week there are signs of it turning warmer again, not quite as hot as before, but temperatures back into the mid-60s.
Met Office chief forecaster Steve Ramsdale said torrential rain in southern England threatens flash flooding today. He said: “Heavy rain will spread north-eastward into Monday with some locally torrential downpours and thunder possible.
“This could result in some disruption, with sudden flooding of roads, transport routes, homes and businesses possible.”
Temperatures hit 85F at Lossiemouth, Scotland, on Friday making it the hottest day of the year so far.
Britons flocked to the great outdoors over the past three days to make the most of the warm weather.
Despite cooler conditions tomorrow and Wednesday, temperatures will start to pick up for the start of the meteorological summer on Thursday.
Experts say this could be the start of a lengthy spell of warm, dry weather likely through June.