The Met Office has warned that 19 areas across the United Kingdom will be hit by heavy rain on Saturday, July 4, as a north-south split dominates the weekend weather. While southern and eastern parts of the country bask in warm sunshine with temperatures soaring to 30°C, northern and western regions face persistent downpours, particularly in western Scotland.
North-South Split Expected
According to Met Office weather maps, the most persistent and heaviest rain will be focused across western Scotland, especially the West Highlands, where rainfall could exceed 100mm by the end of the weekend. Eastern Scotland is expected to fare better due to a rain-shadow effect, benefiting from drier and brighter conditions.
Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern explained: "We start the weekend with a lot of cloud across the north and the west. Some spots of rain as far south as the Midlands, the southwest of England, Wales, nothing particularly heavy or persistent. Rain will come and go in Northern Ireland, Southern Scotland but the most persistent and heavy rain will be across Western Scotland with the rain increasingly heavy over the Western Highlands by the end of the afternoon."
Affected Areas
The 19 areas expected to experience heavy rainfall on Saturday are: Wick, Inverness, Fort William, Aberdeen, Perth, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Argyll, Caithness, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Yorkshire, Carlisle, Plymouth, Cornwall, Cumbria, and Lancashire.
Meanwhile, southern and eastern England will enjoy warm sunshine, with temperatures reaching up to 30°C. The forecaster noted that while rain will come and go in Northern Ireland and southern Scotland, the wettest weather will remain in western Scotland.
Risk of Flooding
The Met Office has highlighted a risk of flooding in western Scotland, particularly the West and North West Highlands, where more than 100mm of rain could accumulate by the end of the weekend. This follows a period of unsettled weather across the UK, with the forecaster urging residents in affected areas to stay updated on warnings.
