Weather maps from WXCHARTS indicate a massive rain storm spanning 462 miles is forecast to drench 36 English counties on Friday, August 7. The band of heavy rain and thunderstorms is expected to stretch from Northumberland down to Cornwall.
The rain is set to begin around 6am, with central England and the southeast facing rainfall rates of up to 5mm per hour. The Midlands could see up to 4mm per hour, while northern England will have around 1.5mm per hour. In the southwest, areas including Bristol, Bath and Somerset will also experience about 1.5mm of rain per hour. Wales will largely be spared, with only western parts affected, and a band of rain will also cover southern Scotland.
Rain intensifies by midday
By noon, the rain will become concentrated over the East Midlands and East Anglia. Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex are forecast to receive the heaviest conditions, with up to 5mm of rain per hour. Central England and the southeast will see some relief as rates drop to around 1.5mm per hour. Light rain showers will also affect Devon, Cornwall and the Midlands, while heavier showers are likely in northern England, particularly Cumbria, with 1.5mm per hour.
After that, the rain is expected to ease across much of the country, but pockets will remain. Scotland is predicted to be covered by a wall of rain.
Met Office outlook for early August
The Met Office forecast for August 4 to 13 describes "a generally rather changeable period" with "many places likely to see some much needed rain or showers at times but also some more sunshine". Initially, heavy rain is likely across the northeast, with some showers elsewhere. After a drier and brighter few days, "further unsettled conditions may develop for a while, these perhaps more likely towards more southern parts of the UK". This will likely be followed by "dry, warm, sunny weather and cooler, wetter and breezier weather" as mid-August approaches.
The 36 English counties expected to face rain on August 7 include: Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Greater London, Surrey, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall, Cheshire, Lancashire, Cumbria, Northumberland, and County Durham.
