A blast of warmth – and for that we can thank Europe
WHAT does Europe do for us? It’s a question we have all been debating in recent months. As far as the weather in the week ahead goes, the answer is plenty, and much of it benign.
A continental flow of warm air, from the Azores, up through Spain and France, will continue for much of the next seven days, bringing warm temperatures, sunshine in abundance, and a last chance for a day at the beach before September sends us scurrying back to classrooms and offices.
Last week saw the hottest day of the year so far. Gravesend in Kent hit 93F (33.9C) on Wednesday, topping the previous front-runner from July at 92.3F (33.5C) at Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. It has turned a bit more unsettled since, however, with a low pressure system from over the Atlantic interrupting the dominance of the warm air coming up from Europe.
The lingering effects of that Atlantic intermission will still be with some parts of the country today, as the ridge of low pressure slowly heads out into the North Sea. So we can expect a band of rain in the north of England, the Midlands and parts of Wales, before the sunshine is restored. Temperatures will range from a pleasant 73F (23C) in the south east to a disappointing 59F (15C) in Newcastle.
But the Bank Holiday should put a smile on most people’s faces, with a gentle southerly breeze bringing back the high pressure, along with fine, settled conditions, and highs up to 77F (25C). And that is how it is looking for the week ahead. Some wetter conditions may just creep in to the far north of Scotland, and parts of Northern Ireland, but for everyone else there’s going to be a late summer bonus courtesy of Europe.