Eight UK regions could be battered by rain on Thursday as much of the country swelters under intense heat. The Met Office issued an amber extreme heat warning for Thursday, with temperatures likely to peak around 37°C in places. The warning will be in force through much of Thursday and covers parts of southern and eastern England, as well as parts of the Midlands.
Rain in Scotland and Northern Ireland
However, parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland are set to be hammered by intense downpours on Thursday, with the heaviest bursts concentrated across the Western Isles and north-west Scotland. The forecast maps show particularly nasty spells of rain around Stornoway through the afternoon, with pockets of torrential-looking rainfall embedded within a wider band of showers.
Highland and Argyll and Bute are also in the firing line as the wet weather sweeps across the west. Northern Ireland will also be lashed by heavy showers, with Londonderry, Tyrone, Fermanagh and parts of Antrim seeing bursts of rain during the afternoon and evening.
Heat warning and impacts
At the same time, areas across England, many of which are in drought or at risk of becoming so, will be baking in extreme temperatures. The Met Office said: “The main exception to the dominant warm and sunny conditions this week will be north and northwest of Scotland, and at times parts of Northern Ireland, which will continue to see the influence of showery, and thundery, rain from the west at times.”
Discussing the high temperatures, which could see heatwave conditions in the UK for an unprecedented fifth time this year, Met Office chief forecaster Chris Bulmer said: “While the peak heat will be more short-lived than recent heatwaves, temperatures widely into the mid-30s Celsius on Thursday brings the potential for impacts for some, which is why a Met Office warning has been issued.
Weather easing from Friday
Thursday’s temperatures are likely to be the high point of the current period of warm weather, with conditions set to ease from Friday onwards. Met Office deputy chief forecaster David Oliver said: “While Thursday will be the peak of the heat this week, some warmth will remain in the south and southeast on Friday, before easing more widely on Saturday as cooler air spreads south from the northwest.”
Weather maps produced by the agency show that Friday looks much calmer for most of the UK, with the heaviest rain largely clearing away and only scattered showers lingering in the north and west. Western and north-western Scotland remain most at risk, with showers around the Highlands and Western Isles through the morning and again later in the afternoon, while isolated bursts are also possible across Northern Ireland and parts of western Wales. Elsewhere, including much of England, conditions look largely dry, with the rain far less widespread and intense than on Thursday.
Full list of UK areas facing rain
- Scotland: Western Isles, Highland, Argyll and Bute, Aberdeenshire
- Northern Ireland: County Londonderry, County Tyrone, County Fermanagh, County Antrim
