Summer holidays are now underway for most of the UK and this week starts off fine with warm sunshine. The week does turn more unsettled as July continues on a mixed, cooler theme.
Summer holidays are now underway for most of the UK, a few weeks in for Scotland and Northern Ireland but only early days for much of England and Wales.
In the sunshine, it will continue to feel warm and sunscreen is needed as the children (and parents) are released from home-schooling. This week starts with high pressure over the UK and so settled, drier conditions but the theme from the weekend onwards shows low pressure bringing wind and rain with an erratic transition midweek.
Summer has been a bit mixed. The UK Met Office announced that July 2020 has been cooler than average, with maximum temperatures being a few degrees down on the monthly average and a top temperature so far of only 28.5C. 15.3C the average max. so far for Scotland and 19.8C for southern England, 16 or 17C for other areas. This cooler air doesn’t point to a wholly disappointing summer, although around this time last year the UK saw a new all-time record temperature with 38.7C at Cambridge on the 25th 2019. No heatwave showing for this month, reaching 30C would be a surprise.
Today
The radar image shows clear skies and so sunshine over southern UK and more cloud further north with a few showers. This cloud will break up a bit today and allow bright or sunny spells as the Midlands, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire see a bit more cloud by this afternoon. Many areas will remain dry with light winds but there will be a scattering of showers over northern Britain and Northern Ireland. A few of the showers will be heavy over northern Scotland. Also, a moderate westerly breeze through central Scotland later today. Temperatures are generally in the mid to high teens with southern England up to 20C and southeast England/ London reaching 22 or 23C. The pollen levels remain high for England and Wales with low air pollution forecast.
Tonight
A scattering of shower continues for the far north of mainland Scotland but for much of the UK it will be clear and cool but dry. If you are going to stay up to look for Comet Neowise, there will only be a few lingering bits of cloud, yet it will be cool with temperatures down into single figures in the countryside and across Northern Ireland.
Tuesday
High pressure remains centred to the SW bringing a lot of fair weather to the UK. There will be light winds and temperatures will be up a few degrees on Monday. High teens for more areas and again low 20sC for southern England. The cloud fills in a little during the day, but rain will arrive in the far NW later in the afternoon as a low pressure heads in. So, another fine, bright even sunny day for most but by Tuesday evening there will be rain brushing Northern Ireland and setting in for western Scotland.
Clear skies remain over southern Britain by night.
The frontal system extends across Britain on Wednesday and creeps south-eastwards over the next few days bringing more cloud. There will be further outbreaks of rain but the details of those have low confidence at the moment so don’t rely on hourly forecasts from an app.
The rain becomes more showery in nature, the chart shows heavier rainfall over high ground as showers pass by. It will be a rather mixed day with more cloud and the risk of these showers. The far southeast could see higher temperatures, say into the mid 20sC which you might consider pleasant enough, in the sunny spells.
By Friday, there could be heavier showers for southern Britain and then the next low pressure heads our way by the weekend. The mixed picture continues into next week with clusters of showers from the west, more for northern areas with bright spells in between. Just pack your raincoat with your hand sanitiser.
