After enduring four heatwaves so far this year and 30C+ weather, the UK’s hot, dry spell will soon be replaced by a cold snap – with forecasters predicting temperatures to plunge to 4C
Britain’s scorching summer is about to take a sharp turn – with forecasters warning parts of the country could plunge to a wintry 4C before the month is out.
After enduring four heatwaves so far this year, with thermometers topping 30C and drought declarations leaving hosepipe bans in force, the UK’s hot, dry spell will soon be replaced by a cold snap that could have residents reaching for their coats. Weather maps from WXCharts predict the chill will kick in on Thursday, August 21. In the early hours – around 6am – temperatures could sink to 4C in parts of Cumbria, Durham, and across swathes of northern Scotland, with the mercury with the mercury struggling to climb beyond the low teens for most of the day.
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Even by midday, some Scottish regions may remain at just 4C, with much of England stuck at 7C. London is set to be the warmest spot, but temperatures there will barely scrape 12C, according to WXCharts’ data. By evening, highs of only 16C are expected across England and Wales, and the cool conditions are set to linger for several days.
The Met Office has warned that low pressure will likely replace the high pressure, which will lead to “an increasing possibility of stronger winds and rain, some of which could be heavy and thundery, especially for southern and western areas, but this perhaps becoming more widespread with time”.
The forecast for the end of August into the beginning of September reads: “Overall, unsettled conditions with showers or longer spells of rain are expected to be most prevalent. Some heavy and thundery rain is possible at times with a risk of strong winds. Interspersed with this are likely to be some transient periods of drier and more settled weather.”
For now, the Met Office says areas across the north will welcome patchy clould with some light rain, and the odd shower in Scotland. In England and Wales, it will stay bright and sunny today – with London, Bristol, Swindon and the Cotswolds enjoying highs of 29C.
The latest forecast follows a scorching heatwave during which temperatures exceeded 33C. The mercury peaked in Leeds, West Yorkshire, on Wednesday and in Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire on Tuesday.