Northern Ireland to push through thunderstorm warning back to warmer weather
Northern Ireland and Scotland are coming through warnings for rain and thunderstorms today – but the Province is expecting temperatures of 22C again this weekend, the Met Office says.
Warnings for thunderstorms and rain have been issued for parts of the UK before temperatures could reach 30C again by the weekend.
A yellow rain warning has been issued for parts of central Scotland from 2pm until 9pm today (Tuesday), which could lead to temporary flooding, while a yellow thunderstorm warning for large parts of Northern Ireland is in place from midday until 6pm today, where hail, thunderstorms and flooding is forecast, the Met Office said.
Temperatures in the South of the UK this week will be in the low to mid-20s, then are forecast to rise to the high 20s or early 30s this weekend and into next week, Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said.
Temperatures in Belfast are expected to climb steadily from 19C tomorrow (Wednesday) to 22C on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
It is possible that some areas in the UK could reach the three-day heatwave criteria but it is unlikely to be as hot as last week, he added.
“Through the day today, more unsettled weather, particularly in northern and western areas,” Mr Dixon said.
“It’s a bit of an abrupt transition for some.”
In the warning area in Scotland, a few places could see 20mm of rain in an hour, and there is a chance that the odd location could see 30-40mm in two or three hours.
Today, Northern Ireland could see hail and lightning along with 10-15mm of rain in less than an hour for some, and perhaps 25-30mm in two or three hours, according to the forecaster.
On Wednesday, Northern Ireland and Scotland and parts of northern England will see rain arrive from the west and move eastwards but it will be drier further south.
There could be outbreaks of showers on Thursday in southern parts of England while it will be a largely dry day for many.
Friday will be largely dry with some showers in western Scotland and Northern Ireland.
In the early part of the weekend there will be rain in the North West but it will be fairly dry in the South, the Met Office said.
There could be another warm spell on the way in particular in the South, with weekend temperatures forecast to hit the high 20s or low 30s.
Mr Dixon said: “What’s looking likely into next week is that high pressure to remain largely dominant in the South, staying into the high 20s and low 30s in parts of England.”
It is possible that some places could reach the three-day heatwave criteria, the forecaster said.
The UK set a provisional June temperature record of 37.7C on Friday – even higher than previously thought – as parts of the UK sweltered in a heatwave.
The Met Office said an update received over the weekend of 37.7C measured at Lingwood in Norfolk, east of Norwich, beats the 37.3C recorded at Santon Downham in Suffolk on Friday, and is a provisional new June temperature record for the UK.
It beats the previous June record for the UK of 35.6C dating back to 1976 by more than 2C, which is significant given such records have usually been broken by only a fraction of a degree in the past.