Rainy, thundery and windy.Yes folks, it’s British summertime

IT might not have been sunshine all the way but our fickle weather did little to dampen spirits during the Platinum Jubilee weekend.

As the country gets back to business as usual, though, anyone hoping for more summery conditions is likely to be disappointed.

Instead, a wet and sometimes thundery couple of days will be followed by a battering of strong winds as the remnants of a tropical storm move in towards the end of the week.

Storm Alex caused disruption across Florida, bringing 5in of rain to parts of the American state.

After tracking across the Atlantic it will have lost most of its power by the time it reaches the British Isles – but there will be enough left for distinctly unseasonal 55mph gusts of wind to buffet some of us.

Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Adam Thornhill said the weather system was likely to bring strong wind and rain to the north west of the country on Thursday and Friday.

Predicting it would ‘graze’ the UK, he said current models suggested ‘winds could be around 45mph for most in the north of the UK, with a chance of some gusts in excess of 55mph in some exposed north-western island and coastal areas’.

From tonight showers will reach south-western parts of the country, continuing into tomorrow morning, before moving eastwards, bringing the potential for thundery downpours across northern areas.

In the sunshine, temperatures could reach a pleasant 72F (22C), but in the rain they are likely to struggle to reach the low teens.

‘Low pressure on Wednesday will bring showers to most areas of the UK, but the heaviest, slow-moving downpours are expected in northern areas… with a chance of associated thunder and lightning,’ said Mr Thornhill.

‘Although rainfall amounts are still open to some uncertainty, there’s a chance some areas in the North could see in excess of 20mm of rain within a three-hour period.’

The weekend looks set to be another mixed affair, with sunshine and showers in equal measures across the country.

Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said: ‘The best of any sunshine will be in the south of the UK.

‘The strongest winds will be in the far north, but will not be as strong as winds on Thursday and Friday.’