Looming rain dashes hopes for hot summer

After a recent spell of balmy weather, August expected to be ‘unsettled’ with cooler and wetter conditions predicted for Scotland

Tayside is unlikely to see another heatwave throughout August, dashing hopes of a sizzling summer.

Earlier this week the region saw clear skies and temperatures in the mid-20s, with many jumping at the chance to sunbathe on the beach or get the barbecue on.

In August, however, the weather is expected to be unsettled with cooler conditions in the north.

One company, synthetic grass manufacturer BuzzGrass, even predicted that August 10 would be the wettest day of the summer.

The company analysed data on the average rainfall over the UK in the summer months between 1980 and 2016.

A spokesperson for the company said: “It won’t be long until the more typical British summertime rears its ugly head.

“Indeed, for the majority of the summer months, ‘summertime’ feels more like a warm up to autumn – with drizzle and grey skies – and it’s usually soggy rather than sizzling sausages you’ll find on the BBQ.

“Regions across the UK can vary wildly in rainfall.

The data, based from 1980 – 2016, suggests that (unsurprisingly) it’s the Scots who could receive the largest amount of rainfall this summer.

“They should be preparing for 3.1 inches of rain on August 10. That’s enough to drown out any garden party.”

A spokesman from the Met Office explained it was not possible to predict the weather so precisely this far in advance, but that on average August does tend to get more rainfall than June and July.

The Met Office forecast for August 3 to August 17 states: “There is low confidence throughout this period.

“We are likely to see some fine, dry spells of weather across the United Kingdom, but also some unsettled weather at times, mainly in the north.

“Temperatures are likely to recover to some extent with warmer than average temperatures at times through to mid-August, but there may be cooler conditions at times, especially in the northwest.”

Picture: Kim Cessford. A member of the public makes their way through the rain in High Street, Dundee.