The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for rain and thunderstorms across parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland on Tuesday, ahead of a potential return to temperatures as high as 30C by the weekend.
Warnings in Place for Tuesday
A yellow rain warning covers central Scotland from 2pm to 9pm, with possible temporary flooding. A yellow thunderstorm warning applies to large parts of Northern Ireland from midday to 6pm, where hail, thunderstorms and flooding are expected.
Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said: “Through the day today, more unsettled weather, particularly in northern and western areas. It’s a bit of an abrupt transition for some.”
Rain and Hail Forecast
In the Scottish warning area, some places could see 20mm of rain in an hour, with a chance of 30-40mm in two to three hours. Northern Ireland may experience hail and lightning, with 10-15mm of rain in less than an hour, and possibly 25-30mm in two to three hours.
Temperatures to Rise Again
While southern areas will see temperatures in the low to mid-20s this week, they are forecast to climb to the high 20s or early 30s by the weekend and into next week. Dixon noted that some areas could meet the three-day heatwave criteria, but it is unlikely to be as hot as last week.
“What’s looking likely into next week is that high pressure to remain largely dominant in the South, staying into the high 20s and low 30s in parts of England,” he added.
Outlook for the Rest of the Week
On Wednesday, rain will move from west to east across Northern Ireland, Scotland and parts of northern England, while southern areas remain drier. Thursday may bring showers in southern England but will be largely dry elsewhere. Friday is expected to be mostly dry, with some showers in western Scotland and Northern Ireland.
At the weekend, the North West may see rain, but the South should be fairly dry, with temperatures potentially reaching the high 20s or low 30s.
Record June Temperature
The UK recently set a provisional June temperature record of 37.7C, measured at Lingwood in Norfolk on Friday. This beats the previous record of 37.3C at Santon Downham, Suffolk, and far exceeds the old June record of 35.6C from 1976 by more than 2C.
