Forecasters are warning of a major shift in weather patterns, with Atlantic downpours set to land this bank holiday – bringing an abrupt halt to the sunshine that’s dominated much of May
Britain’s warm spell is set to come to a dramatic end as torrential rain pummels much of the country ahead of the bank holiday weekend.
Forecasters are warning of an upcoming major shift in weather patterns, with high pressure that has had a grip on the country giving way to a wave of Atlantic downpours in just days. The wet weather is expected to arrive midweek, bringing an abrupt halt to the sunshine that’s dominated much of May. It comes as the Met Office spoke of a “significant turnaround” from the balmy temperatures and sunny blue skies enjoyed by many throughout both April and May.
Weather maps show a number of major cities in the path of the upcoming deluge, including Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Liverpool, Glasgow and the Scottish Highlands. Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said: “There is a significant change during the final week of May as low pressure arrives.
“That last week of May could be wetter than average, so we are looking at a significant turnaround in our weather patterns for the last week of spring, having seen so much sunshine and dry weather. So, there is a very significant change on the way.”
High pressure will keep much of the UK warm and sunny at the start of the week, with western areas enjoying the highest temperatures. Further east, cooler North Sea winds will bring a noticeable chill. But the calm isn’t expected to last – by the weekend, the Atlantic is set to roar back, unleashing heavy rain across the country.
Mr McGivern added: “Up until the middle of the week, the situation with high pressure to the north is almost exclusively the one that is being predicted by computer models. Then Atlantic lows are returning, and the changeover seems to happen around Friday and Saturday.
“There is uncertainty about how and where low pressure will arrive, but there is a lot of confidence that low pressure will indeed replace high pressure.” The return of wet and windy weather signals an end to the spring sunshine, with scattered showers arriving mid-week before a full-blown washout hits just in time for the bank holiday.
Jim Dale, meteorologist for British Weather Services and social commentator, also noted the dramatic shift, saying: “High pressure is on the way out and low pressure is on the way in. There is going to be a switch away from the fine spring weather to heavy rain and cloud, with the heaviest showers in the west.
“There will be the additional risk of thunder in parts, so a real change from the very dry and settled weather we have had so far this spring.”
Jason Nicholls, lead international forecaster for AccuWeather, added: “There is a risk of isolated showers, some of which will be thundery, across southern England and Wales at the start of the week. Elsewhere will be dry and sunny, although additional rainy periods are expected later this week and into the weekend.