Bank brolley-day
Weekend off to wet start (with traditional traffic chaos)
WE may have spent weeks basking in the heat but the great British summer looks like coming to a typical end – with Bank Holiday downpours.
The weekend got off to a wet and windy start yesterday with music fans at Leeds Festival donning their macs as the rain returned.
As millions of motorists set off on their Bank Holiday journeys across the UK there were warnings of serious delays.
On the weather front, bright spells are expected to grace the South today, with clear, cloud-free skies and a top temperature of 22C (72F), which is above average for the time of year.
But sporadic heavy, thundery showat
‘A return to business as usual’
ers are expected to hit the North West with torrential rain set to sweep across most of Britain tomorrow.
Forecaster Grahame Madge, of the Met Office, said: ‘It’s a return to business as usual on Sunday. We’ve had unusually hot conditions recently.
‘There is a spell of wet weather working its way across the country and it’s fair to say that most places can expect to see heavy rain on Sunday coming through from west to east.
‘Some places will see heavy, thundery showers and some may see hail.’
Drivers are being warned to expect delays as more than 14million take to the road up and down the country, according to the RAC. And the heavy rain paired with neargale force winds of up to 40 to 45mph may cause further trouble for motorists.
Mr Madge said: ‘There may be some standing water on the roads which will add to the difficult driving conditions on Sunday.
‘Modest flash flooding is an additional hazard to drivers. If anyone is planning to make a journey on Sunday your journey is likely to be a reduced speed.’ Bank Holiday Monday will see conditions improve, with bright and breezy weather as well as a few scattered showers.
Temperatures in the North could reach a comfortable 18C (64F), while the South will enjoy a warm 22C (72F).
The wet weather is expected to clear next week, with temperatures warming to 23C (73F) on Wednesday as the last day of summer approaches on Friday. The cooling temperatures follow a stifling heatwave with a daily maximum temperature of 20.9C (69.6F) at the beginning of the month.
This summer has been one of the top ten warmest British summers on record.