A dramatic wall of rain is forecast to sweep across Britain on Sunday, July 26, according to weather maps generated by WXCharts on July 18 using Met Desk data. The band of wet weather is expected to break the prolonged spell of hot and dry conditions, bringing heavy downpours to 34 areas from western Scotland to southwest England.
Timing and Progression of the Rain Band
The maps indicate the first significant rain will arrive shortly after midnight on July 26, positioned across western parts of the country, stretching from western Scotland through Northern Ireland and into parts of Wales. By 6am, the weather front pushes further east, affecting a large swathe of Britain from southwest England and Wales through the Midlands and northern England. The midday chart shows showers and downpours extending across much of England.
Areas Facing the Heaviest Downpours
The charts use yellow, orange, and red patches to indicate the heaviest bursts, with particularly intense pockets appearing across parts of Wales and Cumbria. By midday, some of the heaviest rain is concentrated across eastern England, with orange and red patches visible around Lincolnshire and parts of East Anglia. Further intense downpours stretch inland towards the East Midlands, while pockets of heavier rain could also hit parts of the Midlands. Yorkshire and northeast England are also in the firing line, with isolated areas of particularly heavy rain shown further north. Meanwhile, a broader band of lighter to moderate rain stretches across Wales and western England.
Met Office Long-Range Forecast
In its long-range forecast for July 23 to August 1, the Met Office stated: "For much of the UK, dry at first with sunny spells. Northern and northwestern areas will be cloudier with occasional patchy rain or drizzle. Towards the weekend and perhaps into the start of next week, perhaps a more unsettled period with rain at times, especially across northern parts of the UK. This rain may very well reach southern areas too, but could be light and patchy here." The Met Office added: "Confidence becomes lower as we head into next week, but there are signs that high pressure will return, which means dry conditions would resume, especially in the south." Temperatures are expected to be near or above normal, warmest in the south, perhaps becoming very warm again by the start of August.
List of Affected Areas
The 34 areas set to be hit by the wall of rain include: Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Merseyside, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, County Durham, Northumberland, Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Powys, Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Gwynedd, Dumfries and Galloway, Scottish Borders, South Lanarkshire, and parts of the Highlands.
Forecast Uncertainty
As the forecast is still more than a week away, the maps remain subject to change, with the exact location and intensity of the rainfall likely to become clearer closer to the time. The rain is not expected to hit everywhere equally, with some locations potentially escaping the worst while neighbouring areas experience much heavier showers.
