East-west divide should keep the tennis in play
WITH low pressure anchored over Ireland this weekend, the breezy, damp conditions that it generates are making it far from summery over much of the western half of the UK. There are even fears of thunderstorms and flooding in parts of Wales.
And the rain looks likely to extend to Glastonbury, where the return of the festival after two years away is set to be accompanied by the return of the mud. Don’t forget your wellies even if you are going glamping. Further east, though, another summer staple, the tennis at Wimbledon, starts tomorrow and will be mostly blessed by sunshine, at least for the first of its two weeks.
This morning anywhere in points west from Cornwall up to north west Scotland, including Northern Ireland, will wake up to a feeling of déjà vu, since conditions will be much the same as yesterday. And that means that slow-moving low pressure will be keeping it wet and windy, though the showers will be punctuated by brighter interludes. In Belfast, temperatures don’t get much better than 15C ( 59F). Down in Plymouth, it might just tip into 17C (63F), and Cardiff does better still at 18C (64F), but Glasgow is down at 16C (61F).
Over in the east, however, high pressure remains dominant, drawing in those warming breezes from southern Europe as it has been for much of the past week. Hull and Norwich will reach 22C (72F) and the London region 21C (70F). And that east-west divide will remain in play into the week ahead, with the low pressure over Ireland reluctant to move anywhere fast and eastern parts continuing to bask in warm sunny days, perfect for watching – and indeed playing – tennis. By midweek, that low starts heading off to ruin someone else’s summer plans, and we should see something warmer, brighter and more settled.