Weather in the general media (Newspaper features etc)

[Summer Sun]

Ian Fergusson has the latest forecast for this weekends European Grand Prix in sunny Valencia

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/18556345

[Summer Sun]

STORMS, FLOODS AND MUD BUT NEXT WEEK IT COULD HIT 82F

IT was a case of “hang on to your hats†at Royal Ascot yesterday – as racegoers were buffeted by high winds and rain.

The weather was a more serious matter further north – but the good news is that forecasters expect a heat “spike†in time for Wimbledon tennis next week.

Yesterday torrential downpours triggered widespread disruption across the UK. Parts of the North-west were on severe flood alert – and by the evening more than two inches of rain had fallen on parts of the region, with the deluge expected through last night.

Forecaster Jonathan Powell, of Vantage Weather Services, said: “There is a dreadful weekend on the way.â€

But Britain will enjoy a blast of summer warmth next week for the start of Wimbledon – with temperatures soaring to highs of 82F by Friday.

Forecasters say low pressure, responsible for the unseasonably cool weather until now, will shift to allow hot air to flood in from Spain. Jonathan Powell, of Vantage Weather Services, said:

“This will be another of the summer heat spikes.â€

http://www.express.c...t-could-hit-82F

IT’S BROLLY-DAYS MISERY

THE downpours have brought the wettest spring and summer ever recorded, despite a heatwave earlier this year.

It is the worst June soaking since records began in 1766.

England and Wales were deluged by 303mm of rain from April 1 to June 15, Met Office records show.

Netweather forecaster Paul Michaelwhite said: “Wind and rain show no signs of relenting. This is far removed from what most of us expect in summer.â€

But thankfully the heatwave is set to return by the end of next week, with temperatures hitting 30C.

http://www.dailystar...ly-days-misery/

ISLE OF WIGHT FEST WASHOUT

http://www.dailystar...t-fest-washout/

Summer soaking: Torrential downpours drench the north as month's worth of rain falls in 24 hours forcing residents to abandon homes as rivers burst their banks

• Cumbria drenched in four inches of rain overnight
• South-west Scotland, Northern Ireland and Lancashire also experiences unusually heavy rainfall
• Environment Agency issues 140 flood warnings and alerts in northern regions
• Families in Lancashire spend the night in temporary accommodation after they were evacuated from homes when River Darwen became one of several rivers to burst their banks
• Further rain forecast to hit Britain today and tomorrow morning before sunshine breaks through the clouds

http://www.dailymail...l#ixzz1ycLva98T

Flooding forces home owners to be evacuated after torrential rain

Torrential rain and flooding across northern England and Scotland has forced hundreds of residents to abandon their homes after more than a month's rain fell in just 24 hours.

There are 151 flood warnings and alerts in place across northern England and Scotland on Saturday morning after the downpour. An estimated 450 people have been evacuated as their homes were flooded.

More than 11,000 homes and businesses were being protected by flood defences as forecasters predicted more rain later on Saturday.

Cumbria was among the worst hit areas where almost four inches of rain fell overnight. In some areas water levels were waist deep.

Families in Croston and Darwen, nearly Chorley, in Lancashire were evacuated from their homes after rivers burst their banks.

In Wigan residents had to be carried from their homes by boat after the heavy rain overwhelmed drains there.

http://www.telegraph...ntial-rain.html

Month’s rain in a day forces evacuations

HUNDREDS of people were forced to flee their homes last night after more than a month’s worth of rain fell in 24 hours.

A huge deluge fell in parts of the north of England, meaning today more than 11,000 homes and businesses are being protected by flood defences while 7,000 property owners have been issued with warnings.

The Environment Agency said people should remain vigilant and warned of further rain throughout Saturday and into Sunday in areas of northern England that are already counting the cost of what it said was “exceptional rainfall and record river levelsâ€.

There are 95 areas under a flood warning, where rivers are expected to burst their banks, with a further 51 on alert for possible flooding as defences in areas including Preston, Wigan, Catterall and Garstang were used to stop the rising water.

As much as 100mm of rain fell on the region overnight, while south-west Scotland, Northern Ireland and Lancashire also experienced unusually heavy rainfall.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4390487/Months-rain-in-a-day-forces-evacuations.html

[Summer Sun]

WeatherOnline's July outlook

Valid from 23/06 to 23/07 2012

Improving late July?

Issued: Saturday 23rd June 2012

Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling & Captain Bob

Is that 'a light at the end of the tunnel', or is it another locomotive from the opposite direction?

We are looking and longing for that 'Great British Summer'. Well, the notion of endless days characterised by sunny days, blue skies topped off with 'Strawberries and Cream' or quenched with 'chilled Beer' and 'Sandcastles on the Beach' are really only memories of childhood, and are as infrequent as are the tales of past 'terribly cold, snowy winters'. The summer of 2012 probably is one buried in a long run of years that are a great deal more common than we'd care to recall; inclement summer weather year after year often appears in just varying degrees of 'awfulness', this one perhaps just another of the more noticeable ones?

I have noted a tendency for these 'type of summers' to appear in the forecast patterns in clusters throughout the decades, the unsettled pattern often signalling its intensions in early June notably after a protracted dry spell during spring, the unsettled weather establishing in late May. This unsettled scenario then extending right through June and into the beginning of July when there's a half-hearted attempt for the summer to redeem itself, but never quite making it. Mid to late July may see a 'last gasp' attempt, August has 'potential' but I think we may have to write this one summer down to experience?

One crumb of comfort....there's always winter to look forward too!

This forecast is going to be a difficult one to construct and place detail on as the unsettled conditions look as though they are going to be continuing for quite a while, that said there are indications that the flow that has characterised the pattern through much of the previous weeks will be weakening in intensity...this in itself means that the detail will be difficult to pin down, the overall indication that pressure will generally remain low during early and into mid-July. Late July should at last see pressure building and high pressure settling across more northern areas of the UK...but best to make the best of it eh...don't think it'll last.

*26/06/2012*

The flow through until here still looks set to remain unsettled and controlled by low pressure coming off the Atlantic, all areas seeing spells of showers or longer outbreaks of rain interspersed with heavy and potentially thundery showers.

Winds will be brisk at times, gales in exposed areas closest to low pressure tracking close to the UK, the wind taking the edge off strong sunny sunshine, which when protracted and given shelter will be obviously very pleasant indeed.

There is the indication that as we move towards the end of this period there will be a rise in pressure to the west or northwest, this may well 'break' the current pattern run allowing some respite to the rather unsettled conditions.

Prolonged rain should move away to the east and as pressure begins to recover the conditions will become more showery in nature, these becoming confined to eastern areas as drier weather encroaches from the west. Sunny spells in most places and just a scattering of showers, temperatures recovering to provide something to what most of us would consider summer perhaps?

*27/06/2012......04/07/2012*

High pressure builds, but perhaps never extending anything further into the UK than western Britain, that said despite the flow being maintained from the north or northwest, the conditions should be pleasant enough compared to recently.

There should be a scattering of showers thrown across almost anywhere during this period and they do have the potential to be 'poky' and thundery in nature, slow moving too as the flow will be quite lax at times. Feeling warm in any protracted sunnier spells, variable clod amounts across much of the UK, the flow generally from the northwest later.

*05/07/2012......08/072012*

Signs of an alteration in the pattern here and not perhaps for the better as there's an indication of rather more showery conditions affecting all of the UK, bands of showers moving down from the northwest and feeling cooler through all areas with a brisker breeze.

*09/07/201.....11/07/2012*

The showers die away once more and perhaps a few days of summer with higher pressure slipping into the UK, temperatures lifting and quite humid too as low pressure to the west potentially pumps warmer air into Britain on a strengthening southerly flow, heavy showers breaking out in the west and southwest, the east remains dry.

*12/07/2012....22/07/2012*

Low pressure takes control once more from this point as the pattern becomes more unsettled. Initially it looks as if low pressure will be drifting in from the southwest, bringing a rather more humid and thundery regime to all areas, these showers moving across the country followed by fresher and cooler Atlantic air from the west.

Despite a brief drier spell, further low pressure looks set to swing into the UK, bands of rain followed by heavy blustery showers all brought through all areas on a brisk west to south-westerly breeze.

Summer eh?

Simon & Capn Bob

http://www.weatheron...ma&DAY=20120623

Edited June 24, 2012 by Summer Sun

[Summer Sun]

FLOODING CHAOS AS MONTH OF RAIN FALLS IN ONE DAY

A MONTH’S rain in less than 24 hours caused widespread chaos yesterday as flash floods and swollen rivers put thousands of homes under threat.

Scores of families were rescued by emergency services after four inches of rain and fierce winds struck the north of England and Scotland.

The Met Office issued severe weather warnings as up to 500 homes were damaged by rising waters. In the Scottish Borders, an 80-year-old pensioner was taken to hospital with serious injuries following a collision in heavy rain.

In Cumbria three to four inches of rain fell in 24 hours. Matt Dobson, forecaster at MeteoGroup, called it “a month’s worth of rainâ€. About 450 people fled with their tents and caravans as a lake burst its banks at the Keswick Camping and Caravanning Club site in Cumbria.

One caravan was submerged in the flood because its owners were at the theatre. Site manager Gerald Harrison said the couple had turned off their mobile phone for the visit. He added: “We couldn’t get through to them and couldn’t remove the caravan because they’d left the lock on.â€

Ironically, the rains also led to the postponement of the Great North Swim in Cumbria. About 900 people were to take part in the two-mile swim but the event was moved to today.

http://www.express.c...alls-in-one-day

MET OFFICE’S 100-YEAR FORECAST (BUT IT’S WRONG 2 DAYS LATER)

THE boss of the cash-rich Met Office has boasted that its £41million super computer will deliver accurate forecasts “a century aheadâ€.

But critics say the money would have been better spent getting the next day’s forecast right.

John Hirst said taxpayers would be well served by the massive computer because it would ensure Britain leads the world in climate science.

He said £20.7million was invested in the project last year alone, taxpayers’ money “which will enable the Met Office to deliver more accurate forecasts, from hours to a century aheadâ€. Mr Hirst said this referred to climate change predictions.

http://www.express.c...g-2-days-later-

Flood terror: Hundreds flee homes as a month's rain in 24hrs deluges the North

HUNDREDS of people fled their homes in terror as cloudbursts left huge areas of the North ­under water.

More than a month’s worth of rain fell in just 24 hours, forcing dozens of rivers in Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumbria to burst their banks.

Desperate householders took refuge in schools, leisure centres and village halls as houses, shops, offices, factories and caravans were swamped.

The storms hit Lancashire and Cumbria on Friday – just two weeks after Wales was devastated by floods.

The downpours continued for more than 12 hours, peaking in the early hours of yesterday as they crossed the Pennines into Yorkshire and the North-East.

Environment Agency staff and 999 crews worked through the night in a desperate bid to stem the rising water, reinforce flood defences and monitor river levels.

Experts say their efforts saved at least 11,000 homes from being wrecked.

Tens of thousands of music fans were caught up in traffic chaos as the Isle of Wight Festival did a Glastonbury and turned into a mudbath.

Ferries to the island were suspended after traffic was brought to a standstill by the quagmire, leaving hundreds stranded on board or in their cars.

http://www.people.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2012/06/24/flood-terror-hundreds-flee-homes-as-a-month-s-rain-in-24hrs-deluges-the-north-102039-23900089/

[Methuselah]

More crap from the anti-MetO assault squad...

[rob48]

"He said £20.7million was invested in the project last year alone, taxpayers’ money “which will enable the Met Office to deliver more accurate forecasts, from hours to a century aheadâ€. Mr Hirst said this referred to climate change predictions."

Climate change predictions!

We taxpayers have to pinch ourselves every now and then to remind us how lucky we are in being allowed to feed their obsession.

[Summer Sun]

Wat-er relief! Most of Britain will have a short break from wet weather as temperatures rise... but that doesn't help people who were forced to abandon homes when rivers burst their banks

• Over next few days temperatures will hit 23C in South, but wet weather looks set to return on Wednesday and Britain will become 'wet and humid'
• A clean-up is under way after heavy rain on Friday and yesterday forced many people out of their homes and up to 500 properties were flooded in Lancashire and West Yorkshire
• Families in Lancashire spend the night in temporary accommodation after they were evacuated from homes when River Darwen became one of several rivers to burst their banks
• Wet weather will result in a strawberry shortage on supermarket shelves according to experts

A two-day rain respite looks set to provide a brief reprieve for vast parts of Britain with temperatures in the south set to hit 23C early this week and widespread sunshine covering the country.

But by Wednesday the wet weather is forecast to return with an area of rain moving in from the Atlantic and arriving in the south-west before sweeping up the country.

The short-lived break will be of little comfort to people in northern England who were forced to leave their homes this weekend as more than a month's worth of rain fell in 24 hours.

http://www.dailymail...l#ixzz1yiGEqxDL

[Summer Sun]

BBC Weather for the week ahead

[Summer Sun]

The other day the express mocked the met office for failing to forecast 2 days in advance, well today we can mock the express who gave them a figure of 34c is beyond me

SUMMER IS ON THE WAY AT LAST

A SCORCHING blast of summer will at last roar in from the Continent this week – sending temperatures to 93F (34C).

Sun-starved Britons will sizzle in four days of “extreme heat†– at least in the South – due to a surge of hot air from Spain and France.

The mercury is expected to rocket to 81F tomorrow with highs of 93F possible in London and the South-east by Thursday.

The heatwave will briefly interrupt the washout summer in time for the first week of Wimbledon

http://www.express.c...the-way-at-last

WIMBLEDON WEATHER A GAME OF TWO HALVES

TENNIS fans have been told to pack both sunblock and brollies as SW19 will be hit by a heatwave and downpours through the week.

Fans queuing for tickets – some camping outside for four days – had a sample of what’s to come with sun and showers yesterday.

Happy camper Mark Martin, 46, a delivery driver from the Hebrides, was first there. He said: “It’s fun, I like

camping anyway.â€

Met Office forecaster Rebekah Sherwin said today’s start will be fine with showers later.

This trend will continue on through the week although temperatures are expected to soar to 26°C by Thursday.

Bookies William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams confirmed the mixed weather expectations.

He said: “We have had a torrid summer and fully expect that Wimbledon will lose a fair amount of play due to

the weather.â€

Meanwhile, sales of Wimbledon strawberries could be down as rain and flooding has destroyed millions.

http://www.dailystar...-of-two-halves/

[Polar Maritime]

Can we not just mock the express every day...?

[Summer Sun]

Weather Services International final summer forecast

Weather Services International: Lack of Significant Summer Heat to Continue Across Northern/Western Europe

Continued Quite Warm in Southern/Eastern Europe

Andover, MA, June 25, 2012 — WSI (Weather Services International) expects temperatures for the upcoming period (July-September) to average slightly higher than normal across most regions, especially for eastern European locations.

“For the sixth summer in a row, significant and persistent atmospheric blocking (negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation, or NAO) has developed in the North Atlantic,†said WSI Chief Meteorologist Dr. Todd Crawford. “This has resulted in a cool and wet pattern across much of the UK and Nordic regions, with drier, warmer conditions across most of southern and eastern Europe. All of the objective forecast guidance suggests a continuation of this general pattern for the remainder of the summer, and we have made the necessary changes to our forecast to account for this unexpected return of the negative NAO pattern again this summer. Since we are heading into a new El Nino event, we expect a continuation of negative NAO conditions into at least October, resulting in a continuation of cool temperatures across much of western Europe. It is still much too early to speculate on the upcoming winter pattern.â€

In July, WSI forecasts:

Nordic Region* – Slightly warmer than normal east, cooler than normal west

UK* – Cooler than normal

Northern Mainland* – Slightly warmer than normal

Southern Mainland* – Warmer than normal

In August, WSI forecasts:

Nordic Region – Slightly warmer than normal

UK – Slightly warmer than normal

Northern Mainland – Slightly warmer than normal, slightly cooler-than-normal in France/Germany/Benelux

Southern Mainland – Warmer than normal

In September, WSI forecasts:

Nordic Region – Warmer than normal

UK – Warmer than normal

Northern Mainland – Warmer than normal, except parts of Northeast

Southern Mainland – Warmer than normal, except Iberia and southern France

http://www.wsi.com/dafd1316-cdac-4dd6-a9af-5c709e410a1f/news-scheduled-forecast-release-details.htm

[Summer Sun]

TROPICAL STORMS SET FOR WIMBLEDON

A TROPICAL blast from the Atlantic sending temperatures into the 90s will bring a sweltering and humid opening few days to Wimbledon.

Forecasters expect the mercury to soar into the 80s today, with highs of 93F (34C) possible in London tomorrow.

But they warn that heavy showers will make it a muggy affair rather than a week of glorious sunshine.

And it will be short-lived, with another low-pressure system lined up to send temperatures plummeting by the weekend.

The steamy weather is due to a bank of hot, moist air flooding in from the sub-tropical Azores islands in the Atlantic.

Forecasters blame an unstable jet stream allowing fluctuating blasts of hot and cold air to flood into the country.

It is set to continue, with long-range predictions that a chilly July could be followed by a scorching August and September.

Jonathan Powell, forecaster for Vantage Weather Services, said: “It is going to be a roller-coaster ride during the next few months when it comes to the weather.

“July is going to have some spikes of hot weather and then very cool spells, August will pick up and then September is looking warmer than average.â€

http://www.express.c...t-for-Wimbledon

Soak up the sun while you can! Hottest day of June tomorrow set to be followed by more rain, say forecasters

• Temperatures in London could climb as high as 29C (84f) as hot and humid weather predicted
• Sunblock for dogs launched to protect against canine cancer
• Heavy fog disrupts 'super' yacht races off the Cornish coast
• Britain has already had the third wettest June on record, with 122.3mm of rainfall

Families looking forward to sunny weekends away look set to be disappointed as a blazing hot day tomorrow is expected to give way to thundery showers by the end of the week.

Soaring temperatures could make tomorrow the hottest day of June so far, particularly in the South-East and London, where the mercury could reach highs of 29C (84f).

But the respite will be all too brief, with scattered showers likely to return shortly afterwards, followed by thundery downpours towards the end of the week.

The rain is expected to play havoc with matches as Wimbledon and have a knock-on effect on the Olympics, with the courts needing to be prepared in the short gap between the two sporting events.

http://www.dailymail...l#ixzz1ytvRHjdG

Temperatures to hit 27C but flood risk remains

Muggy and largely dry conditions are expected to take hold for most of the week, with temperatures building to 27C (80F) in London and the south east on Thursday.

However, there will be heavy rain and thunderstorms in Wales and Cumbria with an increased risk of flooding because land has been saturated during one of the wettest Junes on record.

Waterlogged parts of the north west and south west are at highest risk, and the Environment Agency said it was already monitoring waterways to ensure that rivers are unblocked.

The end of the week will bring breezier and cooler weather similar to that of recent weeks, with a mixture of sunshine and showers expected across the country.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weather/9354926/Temperatures-to-hit-27C-but-flood-risk-remains.html

[Methuselah]

Why does the Express waste so much print on what that pillock says!

[Summer Sun]

90F...AND FLOODS ON WAY

A SWELTERING tropical blast from the Atlantic today could trigger violent thunderstorms and flash floods.

A torrent of hot and humid air from the Azores is expected to send temperatures soaring into the 90s today and tomorrow.

But sudden downpours will also make it feel very muggy and humid for the next few days.

Jonathan Powell, forecaster for Vantage Weather Services, said: “The hot temperatures are likely to spark some spectacular thunderstorm activity. There will also be some impressive lightning displays.â€

The hot spell will be shot-lived with temperatures expected to fall by Friday.

The Met Office last night issued a severe weather warning for heavy rain in the North ­tomorrow. The Environment Agency issued seven flood alerts nationwide and one more serious flood warning for the North.

This month is on target to be the wettest since 1860.

http://www.express.c...d-floods-on-way

[Summer Sun]

MAN DIES AS ‘MOTHER OF ALL STORMS’ HITS BRITAIN

A MAN died in flash flooding yesterday as “Biblical†thunderstorms hit great swathes of the Midlands.

While the South-east sweltered on the hottest day of the year, an inch of rain fell in just two hours over parts of the country, including the North and Wales.

The dead man, named locally as 60-year-old Michael Ellis, died after torrential rain blocked a road in Shropshire.

It is thought he was overcome by floodwater as he abandoned his 4x4 car and tried to cut across fields on foot to bypass a blockage at Bittlerley, near Ludlow.

Last night farmer Richard Huffer, 50, a parish councillor for Bitterley, spoke of local shock over the death of a “pillar of the communityâ€.

He said: “I am deeply shocked. He was my old maths teacher and well respected.â€

Mr Huffer added: “He had chosen the worst possible route. It goes to show you the power of water.â€

But a band of low pressure, responsible for the washout summer, is due to swirl across the UK next week.

Jonathan Powell, forecaster with Vantage Weather Services, said: “Finally, the scorcher we have been waiting for has arrived but, unfortunately, it is not going to last.â€

Temperatures are expected to fall to 66F (19C) by the weekend.

Forecasters at Netweather said a “plume of warm moist air†from Spain and western France will clash with cooler air to trigger thunderstorms today.

Mr Powell said: “August is now looking very disappointing*. It might be September before summer arrives.â€

http://www.express.c...ms-hits-Britain

*Only on Tuesday Mr Powell said August August will pick up

The rain from Spain! Fierce storms that have brought roads and rail lines to a standstill are blamed on weather phenomenon called the Spanish plume

• Spanish Plume occurs when warm moist air sweeping up from south is lifted by cold weather front from west
• East Coast Trains cancels all services between Newcastle and Edinburgh after landslip and flooding
• 66-year-old retired maths teacher swept to death in Bittlerley, near Ludlow, Shropshire
• North battered by lightening, giant hail stones and reports of tornadoes
• Widespread power cuts in North Tyneside area - 15,000 homes still facing black-outs
• Northern Ireland and Irish republic also hit by floods with more than 10,000 homes in Cork area without power
• This month shaping up to be one wettest Junes on record

The torrential rain and fierce storms that caused flash floods across parts of the UK are down to a weather phenomenon known as the Spanish plume, forecasters said.

The pattern occurs when warm moist air sweeping up from the south is lifted by a cold weather front from the west bringing prolonged and exceptionally intense downpours.

Paul Knightley, senior forecaster at MeteoGroup, said: 'It is a pattern that when it sets up in the correct fashion will produce spectacular thunder storms.

One man died after being swept away in a Shropshire stream, while roads were closed, properties were flooded and hundreds of homes were evacuated.

Northern England, the Midlands, Scotland and Northern Ireland were worst hit by battering storms that brought lightening, giant hail stones and and reports of damage from squalls and tornadoes.

But in stark contrast, southern parts of Britain enjoyed dry weather and temperatures up to 28C.

East Coast Trains said it had cancelled all services between Newcastle and Edinburgh today following floods in Cumbria and near Newcastle and a landslip near Berwick-upon-Tweed. The West Coast line was also badly hit by the storms.

An East Coast spokesman said there would be no replacement bus services or alternative transport arrangements between Scotland and England, adding: 'Network Rail is working hard to fix the line quickly following various problems caused by the severe weather experienced yesterday.

The line is unlikely to re-open until tomorrow morning. Tickets valid today and yesterday will be valid on Saturday.'

http://www.dailymail...-landslips.html

LighTYNEing strike

LIGHTNING hits the Tyne Bridge yesterday as a freak storm battered NEWCASTLE.

Dark thunder clouds turned day into night as torrential rain flooded the city’s roads.

The mad weather continued across the WEST MIDLANDS, where Solihull and Birmingham were swamped.

Nearly an inch of rain fell in one hour in Winterbourne, Gloucs.

Giant hailstones fell across the EAST MIDLANDS.

Trevor Wells, 40, was nearly hit by one the size of a cricket ball in Hinckley, Leics.

Storms also blew dust from the Sahara Desert 2,000 miles away to LIVERPOOL, MANCHESTER and LONDON.

http://www.thesun.co...tters-city.html

[Coast]

Storm causes flash floods havoc

THUNDERSTORMS turned the sky black and dumped more than an inch of rain on the county causing chaos in little more than an hour.

Flash-flooding cut off roads and inundated some homes and businesses across Worcestershire after a huge storm moved across the county on its way north yesterday. The fire brigade said they had taken 156 calls in Worcestershire and Herefordshire between 8.30am and 3pm yesterday – more than 30 calls for each of the first two hours and called in extra call handlers to deal with the volumes. They attended 34 incidents, rescuing eight people including two people trapped by floodwater in their cars near the Morrison’s supermarket, and two others, and a dog, stuck in a van in a residential area, all in Bromsgrove.

As weatherman Paul Damari explained, the problem was not the amount of rain (24mm), which is not unusual for this time of year, but the fact it fell in so short a time. “It’s caused a lot of flash-flooding,†he said. “But for this time of year, it’s not unusual to see thunderstorms.†He predicted more thunderstorms in the next few weeks.

In Worcestershire, Worcestershire County Council’s highways teams cancelled all routine work to handle dozens of calls to problems with flooded roads in Bromsgrove, and Rubery, with a handful from Worcester, Droitwich and Stourport-upon-Severn. In Redditch, a retaining wall collapsed by the Staples store car park on the St George’s roundabout shutting the ring road, while underpasses were made impassable. Meanwhile the A4103 at Bransford, near Worcester, and stretches of the A38 between Wychbold, near Droitwich, and Bromsgrove were badly affected, as were parts of the A449, the A4133 at Ombersley, and the A438 Ledbury to Hereford Road. Driving conditions on the M5 were also appalling. And in Bromyard and Droitwich, drivers and motorcyclists in Tagwell Road and Queen Street had to deal with a spate of blown manhole covers, causing several flat tyres, after water overwhelmed the drains.

In out-lying areas, localised flash-flooding hit places such as the Fir Tree pub at Dunhampstead, near Droitwich. “We are surrounded by water,†said landlord Martyn Perrins. It just started pouring through the front door. “There’s nothing you can do really but wait for it to go back down.†The fire service also had to deploy fast-water rescue boats from Hereford and Worcester, joining crews in Hereford and Ross-on-Wye in Llanwarne after a call to a car getting stuck in floodwater. In Worcester and Malvern, the impact was more limited and drains seemed to have coped better, although cellars were flooded together with the Cattlemarket car park, Worcester, and Cowleigh Road, West Malvern.

Group Commander Phil Russell, of the fire service, said: “The rainfall was sudden and heavy, and caused pockets of localised flooding across Herefordshire into Worcestershire. “It was an exceptionally busy morning but we coped extremely well, with our newly-trained first water responders [specially trained water rescue fire crew] making a huge difference as we responded to a variety of flood-related incidents.†Mr Damari said humid, warm conditions in the atmosphere had created perfect conditions for the storms. “We had a storm in South Wales, and that set off more and more storms, heading north. Coupled with only a light south westerly wind, the storm when it came took a good few hours to travel over Herefordshire and Worcestershire.†He said the weather system had been localised, with Fladbury, near Evesham, suffering hardly any rainfall at all.

“We can expect more of the same, now there’s a set pattern in the weather,†he said.

http://www.worcester...h_floods_havoc/

[Weather-history]

Another bonkers headline from the Express today

Who is the editor of the the Express? Are they obsessed by the weather?

[Summer Sun]

CRAZY WEATHER FOR SIX MONTHS

BRITAIN faces another six months of topsy-turvy weather with violent storms followed by extreme heat.

Long periods of rain and thunder will be broken by brief spells of scorching sunshine as the unstable weather “bounces†between extremes.

Forecasters say the country has become a battleground between two air masses and the resulting “Armageddon†is likely to last until December. The volatile weather has already produced severe storms on a scale normally seen in the American Midwest.

On Thursday temperatures hit 82F (28C) in Gravesend, Kent, while an inch of rain fell in just two hours in parts of the Midlands and North, leading to flash flooding which claimed at least one life.

Hailstones up to five inches in diameter bombarded parts of Leicestershire and in Lincolnshire practice for this weekend’s air show at RAF Waddington had to be suspended because of lightning.

A Polish PZL-130 Orlik two-seater trainer caught in the storm managed to land safely. Meanwhile in London there was glorious sunshine and temperatures in the 80s.

Jonathan Powell, of Vantage Weather Services, said it may be December before the crazy weather finally settles down.

As parts of Britain continued to be lashed by gales and persistent rain yesterday, he warned: “It will get worse before it gets better. Expect another six months of extremes.

“Nothing is going to settle down right up until the end of the year. We are going to keep getting this extreme fluctuation in the weather.â€

He warned July could be a “mirror image†of June with days of non-stop rain.

“It is not looking good at all,†he said. “We can expect this weather to continue for the foreseeable future, with a mixture of potentially torrential downpours and then these extreme spikes of heat.

I wonder what the next bonkers headline from then will be, Snow in August?!

http://www.express.c...-for-six-months

FRESH DELUGE TO MAKE JUNE THE SOGGIEST EVER

BRITAIN will suffer its fifth “waterproofs weekend†in a row, forecasters warned last night.

Summer still shows no signs of appearing as the ­country braces itself for more downpours today.

MeteoGroup forecaster Claire Austin said: “This weekend there’ll be showers, heavy in places, and a waterproof could come in handy.â€

The warning comes after storms in northern England and the Midlands left dozens of communities clearing up.

Experts said the wild weather had caused two ­tornadoes, six-inch hailstones and 110,000 lightning strikes with enough energy to power London and ­Birmingham for a day – 40 times more than usual.

http://www.dailystar...-soggiest-ever/

[syed2878]

well this certainly goes against the met 30day outlook. I can't beleave thapers r stil taking that ideot from vantage weather seriousely.

[Summer Sun]

The Weather Outlooks month ahead forecast for July

July: Warmest and driest in south

Temperature

Over the forecast period temperatures should be slightly above the Central England Temperature (CET) average.

Precipitation

Mostly close to average, driest in the south.

1/7 to 7/7

Changeable weather is expected throughout the week with all parts of the country seeing showers or longer spells of rain at times. Some of the rain is likely to be heavy, particularly in the north, but the south and particularly the south east should be drier, and here temperatures will be reasonable during brighter spells. Cooler during wet spells, especially in northern regions.

8/7 to 14/7

A mixed week is likely, with northern parts still remaining rather unsettled for much of the time. Further south drier and warmer conditions are expected to develop and be more persistent, although even here some sowers or spells of rain are still a risk. In the north temperatures will probably be close to the seasonal average, but southern regions could become quite warm at times.

15/7 to 21/7

More emphasis on drier and warmer weather is expected during the week, with southern and central regions probably seeing a good deal of dry spells with above average sunshine levels. In the north it may remain less settled at times with an ongoing risk of showers or longer outbreaks of rain. Temperatures trending above average in the south, and close to average in the north.

22/7 to 31/7

A reasonable amount of dry and sunny weather is expected through the last third of the month, with temperatures often slightly above the seasonal average. North western parts of the country are most likely to see more prolonged outbreaks of rain, but even here more emphasis on drier and warmer weather than during the first half of the summer is expected. Risk of thundery conditions in southern and central regions.

http://www.theweatheroutlook.com/forecast/30-day-uk-weather-forecast

[Jon Somerset]

Oh I really hope that's right!! ^

[Summer Sun]

BBC weather's Laura Tobin looks at the weather for the week ahead

[Summer Sun]

WORST JUNE SINCE 1766

JUNE’S weather was the worst since records began – and a soggy July is ahead.

The month is set to be confirmed as the wettest since 1766.

In the flood-hit North-East yesterday, 2,500 homes were still without electricity.

And rail travellers faced 90-minute delays between Newcastle and Edinburgh following Thursday’s “once-in-a-lifetime†storms.

An incredible 110,000 lightning bolts hit, with the energy to power London and Birmingham for a day.

The Met Office is warning of a soggy July ahead, beginning with sunshine and showers today

[Summer Sun]

Country File weather for the week ahead with Alex Deakin

[Summer Sun]

DARK SIDE OF JUNE

SOGGY June was one of the wettest and coldest on record.

Britain was savaged by the most prolonged periods of rain for more than 150 years.

It was the most waterlogged June since 1860, the dullest since 1909 and the coldest since 1991.

Average rainfall over England and Wales, including an estimated figure for June 30, was 157mm, 231% more than the average.

Monthly totals at some sites varied between 325mm at Capel Curig, North Wales, and just 34mm at Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis.

There was no let-up in the gloom either, with the number of sunshine hours dismal for the time of year.

Average sunshine over England and Wales was just 123 hours, a mere 64% of the average, making it the dullest June since 1909.

The sunniest place was Tiree in the Inner Hebrides and the dingiest with just 57 hours was Eskdalemuir in Dumfriesshire.

Cloudy Durham had just 69 hours while dull Nottingham was also miserable with 73 hours.

Daytime temperatures were typically up to 2.5C below average in most parts of the country, at just 13.6C (56F). It follows weeks of washout weather with parts of Britain hit by tornadoes and flooding.

One man died and dozens of homes were left under water in the Midlands and north last week.

A spokesman for weather forecasters the MeteoGroup said: “Such monthly totals would not have been out of place in February.â€

And it seems summer’s not going to arrive this week either.

Forecasters warn five days of showers are expected to hit most parts of the UK while temperatures will remain on the cool side.

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/view/259855/Dark-side-of-June/