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More than three inches of rain will fall within hours on Sunday as heatwave breaks
By Mark Duell and Madeleine Ross and Miriam Kuepper
08:42 17 Jun 2023, updated 16:44 17 Jun 2023
- Yellow weather warnings for thunderstorms in place for England and Wales
- Storms follow humid heatwave, which caused heavy hay fever for some
More than three inches of rain are forecasted to fall within hours tomorrow when the heatwave breaks and thunderstorms bring lightning, strong winds and even hail across all of England and Wales.
A yellow weather warning for thunderstorms almost entirely covers England and Wales between noon and midnight on Sunday.
Lightning, strong winds and hail are all to be expected, with the forecaster saying London through to the Midlands as well as eastern England, east Wales and lower areas of northern England are most likely to experience disruption.
The warning states that while some places may miss the rain, others could see 1.18 inches (30mm) in an hour or less and a few spots may even see 2.36 to 3.14 inches (60mm to 80mm) of rain within three to six hours.
The storms will follow this week’s humid heatwave, which has caused some to experience heavy hay fever and even worsened asthma attacks.
Grahame Madge, a spokesperson for the Met Office, said: ‘What we’re seeing is a change of air mass from last week.
‘We’ve now got much more moist air, that’s coming up from warmer latitudes in the Atlantic so it’s quite humid.
‘Heat and humidity are the key ingredients for thunderstorms. There’s a warning out for Northern Ireland today, but tomorrow that extends to essentially the whole of England and Wales, apart from some areas around the Lake District.’
He added: ‘Some of the storms have the potential to be quite intense, with high rainfall rates.
‘Some locations may well miss them all together but all we can do now is indicate that there is a risk across both countries.
He added: ‘We will keep the yellow warning closely monitored and if we need to escalate that for local areas then we will.’
Members of the public have taken to social media to complain that their hay fever symptoms are worse than usual this year. Mr Madge put this down to the hot, dry weather over the last few weeks.
‘Pollen season is certainly with us,’ he said. ‘The fact we’ve had very dry conditions means that grasses can release pollen on mass into the air column.
‘Around 70% of hay fever sufferers are allergic to grass pollen, and will likely have symptoms continuing from mid June into July during grass season.’
The heat and humidity has also led to a surge in the number of people presenting at hospital with lung problems. More than five million people in the UK have asthma, leaving them more vulnerable to the weather conditions.
‘People with asthma who have hay fever can experience much more severe symptoms during thunderstorms,’ said Emma Rubach, head of health advice at Asthma + Lung UK.
‘This is because thunder breaks pollen into smaller particles, which can then be inhaled deep into the lungs, causing wheezing, coughing, a tight chest and shortness of breath.
‘If there is also higher pollution in the atmosphere – which tends to be the case when the weather is warm – this is an added threat.’
Sunworshippers have hit the beaches and parks today as the heat is expected to rise to 26C today before thunderstorms and rain are threatening to wash out the rest of the weekend.
The Met Office said the mercury would remain above average for this time of year over the coming days – with temperatures of 26C (79F) today and 28C (82F) tomorrow – but conditions will become more ‘unsettled’ later today.
The threat of showers today will be most frequent across western areas, although much of the rest of the UK will once again enjoy bright sunshine.
But tomorrow is likely to be a washout for many parts of the UK, with the South East expected to be particularly wet.
But Northern Ireland may already experience thunderstorms today, as the Met Office has implemented a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms for this afternoon and evening.
It said that scattered storms may cause flooding and disruption.
It warned that spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some temporary road closures, and predicted a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds.
There is also a slight chance that power cuts could occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost.
Campers at the popular Isle of Wight face being flushed out of their tents by torrential downpours tomorrow, after enjoying days of scorching heat.
Headliners Robbie Williams and Niall Horan could see their sets interrupted by the bad weather after weather warnings were issued for tomorrow.
Forecasters said there was a ‘high likelihood’ that thunderstorms will develop over England and Wales, but there ‘remains a large amount of uncertainty in exactly where these develop’.
The Met Office added that the risk of thundery showers for some is likely to continue into next week, but temperatures will remain above average for the time of year.
They added that spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures.
The Met Office also said there was a ‘small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds’.
Other possible disruption includes is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services, while power cuts could also occur – and there is a ‘small chance that some communities become cut off by flooded roads’.
Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Steven Keates said: ‘Over the coming days we’ll be transitioning to a more unsettled regime for the UK, though temperatures will remain high and it’ll feel very humid for many.
‘Heavy showers and thunderstorms are likely to become more frequent through the weekend, with the potential for associated hail, lightning and some gusty winds.
‘While the focus of thundery showers on Friday afternoon will be Northern Ireland, that risk spreads more widely across western and southern areas of the UK on Saturday, before pushing further north on Sunday.
‘As in many of these situations, these showers can be hit or miss, with some places avoiding them whilst other areas nearby may see some very wet conditions.
‘There’s an ongoing likelihood of warnings being issued in the coming days, so keep an eye on the weather forecast for the latest outlook.’
The Met Office said it is still establishing where the heaviest thundery rain will be at the weekend, but more than 1.6in (40mm) of rain could fall in some places in short period today and tomorrow.
But they added that the most likely exception to the unsettled shift in conditions is over north-eastern parts of Scotland, which will enjoy the dry weather for the longest.
The Met Office also warned that hay fever sufferers have a long weekend ahead, with pollen levels being high or very high across much of the UK over the weekend.
The Environment Agency warned of possible surface water flooding across England on Sunday afternoon due to the downpour of rain.
Despite more thundery conditions being on the way, temperatures will remain high while a plume of warm air still influences conditions in Britain.
The Met Office said the mercury would likely remain in the mid-to-high 20Cs for some throughout the weekend, although some places could dip slightly below the threshold for the official heatwave to continue.
The threshold for a heatwave is different across the UK. In some areas it is classified as hitting highs of 25C (77F) to 28C (82F) across a three-day period.
Today highs of 26C (79F) are expected in the South East, and 21C (70F) to 25C (77F) elsewhere across Britain.
Tomorrow is looking even warmer, with Birmingham the UK hotspot at 28C (82F) and London close behind at 27C (81F). Temperatures for the rest of Britain will range between 18C (64F) and 26C (79F).
As the weather stayed hot today, police slapped a ‘dispersal’ order on Audenshaw Reservoir in Tameside to stop people swimming there to cool off.
The order at the reservoir allows police to ask anyone within the area to leave and not return for a specified time frame.
It follows the tragic death of 15-year-old Abbie Walton who was found in the River Etherow, in Broadbottom, Tameside, on Wednesday, June 14.
A post on the Greater Manchester Police Tameside Facebook page pleaded with parents to remind their children not to swim in open water.
It said: ‘Following the tragic incident in Broadbottom where a young person has drowned as a result of swimming in a nearby river, we are urging all parents to speak with their children regarding open water safety.
‘Ensuring they are keeping out of all rivers, ponds, reservoirs, canals and any other bodies of water.
‘The waters can be tempting during these prolonged periods of dry and warm weather, but the risks of injury and death in open water are very real.’
People are already told not to swim in Audenshaw Reservoir, owned by United Utilities, but the police order makes it illegal.
Describing the order, the force added ‘Authority granted to direct any person who is in a public place in the locality of Audenshaw Reservoir, bordered by Corporation Road, Stamford Road, Taylor Lane and the M60 to – a) leave the locality (or part of the locality), and b) not to return to the locality (or part of the locality) for the period specified.
‘This area is privately owned land and no member of the public has authority to enter. 13 Dispersal Notices have already been issued.’
Another stark warning was also issued about the dangers of open water after 15-year-old Erin Madden died at a popular beauty spot in St Helens on June 2.
The teenager died at Carr Mill Dam after ‘getting into distress’ in the water.
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue also criticised dozens spotted jumping into water at a quayside in an attempt to cool off – despite water safety warnings.
The groups were seen jumping from bridges and the water’s edge into Salford Quays as temperatures rose to as high as 30C across the weekend.
The Met Office also said night-time temperatures this weekend will remain well above average, providing ‘little relief to those more vulnerable to high temperatures’.
Dan Stroud, a spokesman for the Met Office, said conditions would become ‘increasingly humid and uncomfortable’ over the weekend, especially in inner cities, with temperatures unlikely to drop below the 20Cs overnight.
The UK Health Security Agency, which covers the healthcare sector in England, has a Heat Health Alert in force.
It comes as an NHS medical director said the heat had contributed to one of the ‘busiest days ever’ in A&E departments across the country yesterday.
Earlier this week, the UK Health Security Agency extended its Heat Health Alert until next Monday.
NHS national medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis added: ‘We know the warm weather has increased demand on services and this week we have seen one of our busiest days ever at A&E departments.
‘As we move into what’s forecasted to be a very warm weekend, the heat and the impact of industrial action will continue across the country.
‘NHS staff are working hard and prioritising urgent and emergency care, so as ever, use 999 in emergency and life-threatening situations and NHS 111 online for other health concerns.’
A UK Health Security Agency spokesman warned that the sustained heat could impact the health and social care sector.
She said: ‘If current forecasted temperatures are reached it is likely that there could be some impacts across the health and social care sector.
‘A yellow alert means that any impacts include the increased use of health care services by vulnerable populations and an increase in risk to health for individuals over the age of 65 or those with pre-existing health conditions, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
‘If you have friends, family or neighbours who you know are more vulnerable to the effects of hot weather, it is important you check in on them and ensure they are aware of the forecasts and are following the necessary advice.’
Meanwhile, South East Water bosses said a hosepipe ban is set to come in across Kent and Sussex due to a record demand for drinking water.
Areas of the region have been left with little or no water this week amid the hot weather, forcing schools to shut and residents to get drinking water from bottled water stations.
A plea to use only essential water has stretched from Haywards Heath in West Sussex to Whitstable in Kent.
The temporary ban on hosepipes and sprinklers will come in on June 26.
South East Water said despite providing an extra 120 million litres of water a day, demand in June has broken records, including from the Covid lockdown heatwave.
David Hinton, the firm’s chief executive, said: ‘This situation has developed much more rapidly than last year. Understandably, we’ve seen customer demand increase in line with the hotter weather, however this has impacted our ability to keep all customers in supply at all times.
‘Despite asking for customers’ help to use water for essential uses only, regrettably we’ve now been left with no choice but to introduce this temporary use ban restriction to protect customers’ supplies across Kent and Sussex.’
Mr Hinton said the long-term forecast for the summer is a dry period with little rainfall, adding: ‘Restricting the use of hosepipes and sprinklers to make sure we have enough water for our customers’ essential use will ensure we can serve our vulnerable customers and to protect the local environment.’
On Friday, three schools in East Sussex partially closed due to water shortages.
Mark Cross Church of England Primary School in Crowborough said it could not open to all year groups because of reduced sanitary facilities and no running water.
Areas experiencing no or low water pressure during the week include Crowborough, Wadhurst, Mayfield, Lewes, Newhaven in East Sussex, and Biddenden, Staplehurst, Cranbrook and Ashford in Kent.
Wealden MP Nusrat Ghani has been calling on South East Water to introduce a hosepipe ban since earlier this week, blasting the company for ‘appalling’ outages across her East Sussex constituency.
Last Saturday was the UK’s hottest day of the year so far, with 32.2C (90F) recorded at Chertsey in Surrey.
The Met Office said it was also the first time temperatures had got above 30C (86F) in the UK since August 24, 2022.
Since Saturday, the UK daily high has been 32C (89.6F) on Sunday, 31.3C (88.3F) on Monday, 30.8C (87.4F) on Tuesday, 29.8C (85.6F) on Wednesday and 28.8C (83.8F) yesterday.
