Ah! That’s more like a British summer
RECORD heatwave temperatures gave way to dramatic thunderstorms yesterday as normal British summer weather returned.
Lightning and heavy rain struck parts of the country hours after the mercury rose above 40C (104F) for the first time in the UK.
The suffocating heat which made much of Britain hotter than the Sahara on Tuesday plunged more than 10C to a high of 29.6C (85F).
Families in shorts and Tshirts were forced to shelter under umbrellas after downpours swept through Lyme Regis in Dorset. Thunderstorms had struck parts of Kent late on Tuesday after it baked under clear skies hours earlier. In Coningsby, Lincolnshire, where the record 40.3C (104.5F) was set, temperatures peaked at 27C (81F) yesterday amid light showers.
The highest temperature yesterday was 29.6C at Tibenham airfield in Norfolk.
Forecasters issued warnings for thunder, heavy rain and flooding in parts of the Midlands and South last night. Dan Suri, of the Met Office, said: ‘Now that the extreme heat is behind us, the UK can look forward to more typical conditions. The introduction of moister air from the Atlantic is triggering the risk of thunderstorms and heavy showers for parts of the UK.’
The weather is forecast to return to summer averages by the weekend when the South is expected to be dry and sunny with temperatures between 19C (66F) and 24C (75F). The North is expected to be cloudy with some showers and temperatures in the high teens and low 20sC.