he Met Workplace has warned that components of England might be hit by thunderstorms and heavy rain because it revealed August is on monitor to be one other dry month.
The yellow warning issued for Thursday from midnight to 3pm for south and jap England, says driving situations might be affected by spray, standing water and even hail and there could also be delays to coach providers, energy cuts, flooding and lightning strikes.
However whereas the forecast rain and downpours final week make it unlikely this summer time – June, July and August – will see file dryness, forecasters warn there must be a interval of above common rainfall to ease the drought.
To date this month the UK as an entire has had solely 46% of the common complete rainfall for August, the Met Workplace mentioned.
A lot of the nation has seen even drier situations, with solely 35% of the overall anticipated rainfall for the month to date in England, 34% in Wales and 39% in Northern Eire.
And in southern England there was simply 29% of the month’s common from 1991 to 2020.
Bedfordshire has had solely 13% of its common August rainfall to date, recording simply 7.7mm (0.3 inches) this month.
The continued dry climate has seen drought declared throughout swathes of England, with parched grass and struggling crops, streams drying up and river, reservoir and aquifer ranges low, and hosepipe bans introduced in for hundreds of thousands as heatwaves pushed up demand for water.
Heavy rain is anticipated for some areas of the UK on Thursday and Friday, with components of the South East doubtlessly seeing 5-15mm of rain fall over three hours.
The Surroundings Company issued six alerts for areas the place “flooding is feasible” on Thursday, including: “Heavy rain and thunderstorms, bringing the potential for domestically intense rainfall, are forecast to have an effect on the London space.
“Whereas uncertainty stays round actual timings and which areas will expertise the heaviest rain, there’s a risk that rivers might reply shortly and overtop their banks.
“Flooding to low-lying land, roads and riverside gardens is feasible.
“Floor water flooding may additionally have an effect on low-lying areas.”
However the financial institution vacation is anticipated to be largely dry with heat sunny spells, although probably wetter within the North West.
Temperatures might climb to 30C or into the mid-20s relying on how the excessive stress builds, the Met Workplace mentioned.
Spokesman Grahame Madge mentioned: “We’ve positively switched from the recent and dry regime to one thing that has rain within the forecast.
“There’s some heavy rain for the following 24 to 36 hours, offering some reduction to gardeners greater than serving to to prime up long-term sources.”
We have had under common rainfall for such a very long time, it’ll take a interval of above common rain to make it up
Whereas the forecast rain for this week will imply this month will “catch up a bit” with rainfall totals, he mentioned: “It’s definitely going to be a dry August for the entire of the UK.”
And he mentioned some areas had gone with none vital rainfall from the center of June till final week.
“We’ve had under common rainfall for such a very long time, it’s going to take a interval of above common rain to make it up,” he warned.
Whether or not that interval of above common rainfall is looming stays to be seen, with the Met Workplace set to convey out its seasonal forecast for the probably situations over the following few months subsequent week.
It’s attainable for the climate to show round: the severely dry summer time of 1976 was adopted by rain that meant that rainfall ranges had caught up with the common by the tip of autumn.
However scientists warn that local weather change is making climate extremes extra probably, growing heatwaves, droughts and heavy rain occasions that may result in flash floods.
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