FINALLY... HERE COMES THE SUN
Summer emerges after storms lash Britain
THE glorious bright colours of dawn breaking over a tugboat on yesterday heralded the promise of summer – at last.
The amazing shot of the boat on the Thames in Gravesend, Kent, followed much heavy rain and thunderstorms.
But the Met Office – which had issued a yellow warning – says sunnier days are on their way.
Up to 40mm (1.6 inches) of rain fell in a couple of hours in some areas.
And there were reports of localised flooding and travel disruption across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
It’s set to be the wettest summer in a decade. However, by tomorrow, most of the UK can expect drier, warmer and sunnier weather.
Almost a month’s rainfall hit parts of the UK over the first 10 days of the month, and with continued downpours, the country could record its wettest-ever August.
And while the mercury rose to 32.5C at the end of July, sunshine has been at the lowest level for 10 years.
Sweltering
Met Office data reveals the country has seen only 442 hours of sunshine since June 1, whereas in previous summers there have been up to 615 hours.
Last year, Brits saw a sweltering August, with the hottest day for 17 years as the mercury reached above 36C.
But the weather is expected to be dry with sunny spells for the next week, with temperatures of 22C – average for the time of year.
Meantime, racegoers at York’s Ebor Races didn’t let the rain dampen their spirits yesterday – nor did they bother dressing for the weather!
Punters turned out in force – tickets for the County Stand and Grandstand & Paddock sold out.
The high-profile race meeting, which is formally known as Yorkshire Ebor Festival, started with the Juddmonte International on Wednesday and ran over four days, culminating yesterday.