The Met Office has announced that rain is expected from Monday afternoon, bringing an end to the recent dry spell that saw temperatures provisionally reach 38.1°C at Kew Gardens in London on Thursday, marking the fifth hottest day on record for the UK.
Record Heat and Dry Conditions
Specialists recorded a temperature of 38C in Pershore, Worcestershire, with 40 locations across central and southern England recording temperatures of 36°C or higher. This year has seen the most number of days reaching or exceeding 36°C – four days – and 37°C – three days, the Met Office said. It also equalled 2022 for seeing two days of 38°C.
Rain on the Way
Experts said on X on Friday afternoon: "Rain is on the way from Monday afternoon, bringing a change after recent dry weather." They then indicated which areas of the country are expected to see the most precipitation.
The Met Office said: "The wettest conditions are likely in western and northern areas, while parts of the south and southeast may miss out on the higher totals."
Wettest Areas Expected
A map shared suggests that the following areas will see the most rain: Scottish Highlands, Grampian / Aberdeenshire, Perthshire and Kinross, Central Scotland, Dumfries and Galloway, Cumbria, Northumberland, Pennine Yorkshire, North Wales, and Northern Ireland.
The outlook for Sunday to Tuesday on the weather agency's website reads: "Fresher conditions reach the southeast by Sunday and generally staying dry into next week with sunny spells. Turning breezier in the northwest as various rain bands push in, perhaps heavy."
Expert Comment
Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster, Steven Keates, said: "Many people are desperate for some rain to alleviate the impacts of the prolonged dry spell. There is a chance of some thunderstorms developing in central and southeastern parts of England later on Friday into Saturday, however these are very uncertain."
He added: "A front moving south eastwards across the UK on Monday and Tuesday could bring northern areas some rain but amounts of rain in the south will be small at most and the majority will fall over Northern Ireland and Scotland. The next meaningful rain forecast for these very dry areas could be towards the end of next week as an area of low pressure influences our weather from the southwest. The detail on this will become clearer over the coming days, so stay up to date with the forecast."
