The hurricane that’s set to save our summer
A HURRICANE blasting at 90mph could be the unlikely saviour of summer for parts of the country, bringing warm Caribbean air.
Hurricane Gert is currently active off the eastern coast of the US and close to Bermuda but is due to track across the Atlantic towards Britain.
Its remnants will arrive as a lowpressure system bringing yet more wet and windy conditions to the north and west of the country.
However, areas south and east of the depression will receive warm air direct from the West Indies.
The more summery conditions for central and southern Britain are forecast to arrive on Sunday and last into next week, and follow weeks of unsettled weather.
In the days before, there will be a mixture of more sunshine, showers and longer spells of rain.
The Met Office’s Nicola Maxey said: ‘There is an indication it will be more settled by next week.
‘The warmer weather is being drawn towards Britain because the low-pressure system will have some of the energy left from Hurricane Gert. It will pull air of tropical origins from the Caribbean.’
Miss Maxey added that the dry and settled weather is due to begin for southern areas from Sunday and into Monday, with temperatures into the mid-20s celsius, or mid-70s fahrenheit.
She said: ‘The indication is that warmer air could carry on into next week and high pressure could build. It is too early to say how long it will last and whether the settled conditions will stay with us into the bank holiday weekend.’
Today is forecast to begin with damp weather in the South and East – the remains of a front that was crossing the country overnight, bringing patchy rain.
To the North and West, this morning is due to be dry and bright but a further weather front is set to move in later, bringing more cloud and rain.
Tomorrow, rain will clear eastern parts of the country first thing, leaving sunshine and scattered showers in its wake.
Miss Maxey said: ‘ For some places, the showers could be heavy and thundery. It will also be breezy with winds of up to 35mph.’
A third weather system to hit the country in less than three days will bring heavier rain and the risk of thunder to northern areas as the day progresses.
On Saturday there will be more sunshine and showers for most parts, Miss Maxey said.
Temperatures over the next few days will mostly be in the high teens to low 20s celsius (60s to low 70s fahrenheit). But in sheltered southern spots where there is prolonged sunshine they could rise as high as 25C (77F) even before the settled spell arrives.
While southern Britain enjoys brighter conditions from Sunday, the low-pressure system linked to Hurricane Gert will bring ‘fairly large amounts of rain’ to North West England, North Wales and Scotland. In those areas, 20mm to 40mm of rain (an inch to an inch and a half) could fall.
‘Showers could be heavy’