June is ending with blustery winds, a record daily amount of rainfall, and Aberdeenshire funnel clouds. Early July won't see a quick return to the heat and reliable fine weather.
June has already thrown up some lively weather with torrential downpours and thunderstorms as temperatures rose into the high 20s and low 30sC last week. The air has become cooler and fresher for the end of June but NE Scotland managed to start Monday morning with thundery showers and a crop of photos showing one or more dramatic funnel clouds, possibly a tornado. Funnel clouds come down from convective clouds but do not reach the ground.
It has been very wet for Scotland, Northern Ireland and NW England during the weekend and into Monday 29th with surface water flooding in places. The Met Office and Environment Agency have issued data from the Honister Pass rain gauge in Cumbria; 212.8mm of rain recorded in 24 hours from 10am Sunday until 10am Monday. Provisionally a new UK June daily (24 hour) rainfall record. Honister Pass holds the UK 24 hour rainfall record with 341.4 mm 4th/5th December 2015 in Storm Desmond.
This week will bring further outbreaks of rain although the blustery winds will ease Tuesday onwards, picking up again on Friday. Temperatures will widely be mid to high teens into the low 20sC, so not the heat of last week.
With Saturday 4th July been seen as the next key date for lockdown easing in England, there could be extra interest in the forecast for this weekend. Currently, it still looks unsettled and blustery with rain from the Atlantic.
Temperatures still look to be in the high teens, low 20sC, warmer for SE Britain, cooler for far NW of UK. Saturday’s forecast currently has a brisk SW wind and by Sunday a fresher feeling NW wind. So the weather looks a bit unreliable at the moment for a whole day in a beer garden and less than ideal for sitting at the beach, which might be a relief in some quarters.
Further ahead, there are signs that high pressure could topple over southern Britain at least by the middle of next week bringing more settled weather, a fair way off just yet.
