The mirror is looking at a sharp turn in Britain’s weather, with WXCharts showing a 220-mile band of rain set for July 19. It follows the country’s third heatwave of the year, after temperatures climbed beyond 30C.
The forecast points to 25 counties feeling the impact next Sunday, with the rain stretching from Cumbria in North West England to Northamptonshire in the East Midlands. People in Suffolk are also expected to face heavy showers, with rainfall rates of up to 7.5mm/hr.
WXCharts and MetDesk data
Fresh weather maps from WXCharts, using MetDesk data, show changeable conditions returning next weekend. The band is described as enormous, and it reaches across a wide slice of the UK rather than staying pinned to one region.
That matters for anyone trying to plan around a quick swing in conditions. A forecast that spreads from Cumbria to Northamptonshire leaves little room for a localised downpour story; it points to a broad-weather shift that could affect travel, outdoor work and weekend plans across multiple counties.
Met Office July 15 to 24 outlook
The Met Office outlook for July 15 to 24 starts with broadly settled weather for the north of the UK, but it also carries a risk of thunderstorms into the south of the UK from France at times. Later in the period, the weekend may turn more unsettled from the south before calmer conditions arrive from the west.
Its wording is blunt: “High pressure to the northeast of the UK with low pressure over the Bay of Biscay starts the period with broadly settled weather for the north of the UK with a risk of thunderstorms into the south of the UK from France at times.”
Rain after 30C heat
The same outlook says temperatures will be warm or very warm initially, perhaps hot at times in the southwest, before easing to warm or near average over the weekend. It also says further hot spells remain possible, especially in the south.
“Through the weekend potentially turning more unsettled from the south before more settled conditions arrive from the west. Uncertain into the next week as cloud and longer spells of rain threaten the NW and possibly running through the UK at times,” the Met Office says. For people in the counties on the rain band’s path, that means the next clear question is not whether conditions change, but how quickly the wet spell spreads and how long it holds.
