Storm Chris could end heatwave by the weekend

TROPICAL storm Chris is shaping up to bring an end to the British heatwave, forecasters have said.

The storm is likely to become a hurricane as it crosses the Atlantic and could bring wind and rain to the UK by the weekend.

Nicola Maxey, spokesman for the Met Office, said the tropical storm, which is gathering off the US east coast, “will influence the weather but we cannot tell what that influence will be at the moment because it is still developing”.

There is still “uncertainty” about the possible track the storm will take and, if it did hit the UK, it would no longer be at hurricane strength.

Britain has enjoyed temperatures more than 10C above the average so far this summer, and it was previously thought the warm and dry weather would continue until the end of July. However, gardeners and farmers will be pleased as the dry weather has harmed crops and gardens, as well as depleting reservoirs and sparking water warnings from utilities companies.

While the much-needed rain could arrive this weekend, warm weather is still expected for the next few days.

Ms Maxey added that a “blip” in the hot weather, which is unrelated to Chris, resulted in temperatures in the South East dropping to around 73-77F (23-25C) yesterday and further north to 69-71F (21-22C) in Birmingham or 6264F (17-18C) in Newcastle. However, temperatures “will increase a few degrees to the weekend”.

“Certainly next week after ex-hurricane Chris has passed through we are looking at weather that is more mobile or normal (for this time of year) but that is not to say that we will not have another hot spell of weather,” she said.