UK weather: Storm to batter Britain this weekend

01 August

Some parts of the UK will face more rain in the next 24 hours than fell during the whole of July, reports the Daily Telegraph.

August will get off to a chilly, bright start in the north with rain over significant parts of the south amounting to a changeable seven days.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

A Met Office forecaster said: "It will be a real topsy-turvy week - no two days quite the same. But in the next five to seven days we will all see some rain at times - useful rain for those who have got parched gardens; obviously not great for those under canvas or trying to enjoy the beach."

The start of the month has arrived with a change in weather, with up to 0.8ins of rain expected over the next 24 hours. Next week, the north-west faces a great chance of rain and strong winds.

Only in the second half of August is there a chance for a settled, warm period, which is most likely to be in the south. Coral have cut the odds on the month being the hottest on record from 5-1 to 3-1 amid a wave of bets that Britain will bask in a heatwave before the month is out.

But before you get too excited, the Met Office warned there was "certainly no strong signal for any prolonged period of hot weather" at the moment.

UK 'hotter than Hawaii' - but rain is on the way

19 July

The UK is enjoying a mini-heatwave with some areas expected to reach 35C, near record temperatures for July.

London and the south-east will feel the brunt of the heat today, as youngsters in England and Wales enjoy the start the school summer holidays.

Temperatures are "set to soar higher than Hawaii, Morocco and Monaco over the early course of this week", says the Daily Mail.

Met Office forecaster Sophie Yeomans said: "We are looking at probably the hottest day of the year today with quite a few places reaching 34C or even 35C in the south-east."

However, the rain will break eventually, reports the Daily Telegraph, with up to 2in (50mm) expected in some parts, bringing a risk of flash flooding.

Public Health England (PHE) has issued a warning to those at risk from the hot weather. "For some people - such as older people, those with underlying health conditions and those with young children - summer heat can bring real health risks," says Dr Angie Bone.

"This summer, we're urging people to keep an eye on those at risk and, if you're able, offer help to stay cool and hydrated."

PHE advises staying out of the sun and avoiding physical exertion between 11am and 3pm. It also says to stay in the shade.

Pollen levels will also be high all over the country for the next few days, which is bad news for hay fever sufferers, and there may also be some restless nights ahead as temperatures reach 22C overnight.