The 'great British summer' is often enough to make anyone despair, but this year has been a particularly cruel example of the nation's capricious weather. After an all-too-brief spell of miniature heatwaves at the beginning of July, the British climate seems to have sunk back into its usual gloom.
Just a few weeks ago, newspapers boasted cheerful headlines about temperatures 'hotter than Spain', but now they tell a very different tale. "Whatever happened to our glorious summer?" the Daily Mail asks. "As families across Britain prepare to start their summer holidays, gale-force winds and torrential rain come blowing in."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
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.
So is this really it for the summer? Can we expect to see the sun again? The good news is that the summer didn't begin and end with the early-July heatwave. The Met Office forecast suggests that things are going to brighten up at the end of next week. After a few days of blustery showers, the south of England should dry up, followed gradually by the rest of the country.
However, while August looks to be mostly dry, it may take a little longer for the sun to catch up. "Temperatures cooler than average at first, with some chilly nights in the north," warns the Met Office. It nonetheless predicts "increasing amounts of fine, dry weather across most parts of the UK by the second week of August".
Warming up, then, but is there any chance of more of those Spain-beating scorchers we experienced earlier in the summer? "There is a small chance that some very warm conditions may briefly return to the south," says the forecast, while warning that any such heatwave may bring a repeat of the intense thunderstorms seen earlier this month.
-
Libya's 'curious' football cup, played in Italy to empty stadiumsUnder The Radar 'Curious collaboration' saw Al-Ahli Tripoli crowned league champions in Milan before a handful of spectators
-
What taxes do you pay on a home sale?The Explainer Some people — though not many — will need to pay capital gains taxes upon selling their home
-
Schools: The return of a dreaded fitness testFeature Donald Trump is bringing the Presidential Fitness Test back to classrooms nationwide
-
Europe's heatwave: the new front line of climate changeIn the Spotlight How will the continent adapt to 'bearing the brunt of climate change'?
-
Why the weather keeps getting 'stuck'In the Spotlight Record hot and dry spring caused by 'blocked' area of high pressure above the UK
-
Severe storms kill dozens across central USSpeed Read At least 40 people were killed over the weekend by tornadoes, wildfires and dust storms
-
Rain helps Los Angeles wildfires, risks mudslidesSpeed Read The weather provided relief for crews working to contain wildfires, though rain over a burn area ups the chances of flooding and mudslides
-
Fast-spreading Los Angeles wildfires spark panicSpeed Read About 30,000 people were under an evacuation order as the inferno spread
-
Cuba roiled by island-wide blackouts, Hurricane OscarSpeed Read The country's power grid collapsed for the fourth time in just two days
-
Floridians flee oncoming Hurricane MiltonSpeed Read The hurricane is expected to cause widespread damage in the state
-
Welcome to summer without El NiñoThe Explainer Temperatures may be cooler. But not by much.
