The Met Office has forecast heavy rain for six counties on Friday, July 3, with up to 16mm of rainfall expected before a potential heatwave could bring temperatures back into the 30s Celsius early next week.
Rainfall Details for Friday
According to Met Office weather maps, heavy showers will batter parts of North West England and Scotland from 9:30pm on Friday. The downpours are expected to last around two-and-a-half hours, easing by midnight. The affected counties include Cumbria, Wigtownshire, Dumfriesshire, Kirkcudbrightshire, Argyll, and Lanarkshire.
The Met Office had previously warned that conditions would turn more changeable this week, with "showers or longer spells of rain expected to be heaviest and most frequent in the north and west."
Potential Heatwave on the Horizon
Despite the Friday rain, another hot spell is looming. Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Tony Wisson stated: "The forecast for this weekend suggests that temperatures could approach high 20sC across parts of England, perhaps 30C in parts of the southeast, with values of mid to high 20sC in Wales."
Wisson added: "Although a return to heatwave conditions is looking increasingly likely for some areas, the likelihood of such extreme high temperatures or high levels of humidity as last week is currently low." The forecaster suggested that official heatwave thresholds could be met in certain regions in the coming days.
Health Alerts Issued
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued yellow heat health alerts for large parts of the country, effective from 12pm on Saturday, July 4, until 5pm on Wednesday, July 8. These alerts indicate a "greater risk to life for vulnerable people" and warn of increased potential for indoor environments to become very warm, as well as a rise in water-related incidents, including risks from cold-water shock and drowning.
The UKHSA said the alerts could impact health and social care services in the East Midlands, South East, South West, east of England, and London.
