More rain for London as UK faces one of the wettest Mays on record
London faces more rain showers for the week ahead, setting the scene for what could be one of the wettest Mays on record.
The capital is set to experience more showers on Saturday evening, before a dry spell in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The dry spell then gives way to light showers, with a chance of thunder and hail across the rest of the weekend.
The wet weather follows a trend of increased rainfall throughout the month of May.
Further #rain or #showers for many areas this evening, but a few drier and clearer slots too, especially across parts of Scotland and for a time over southwest England pic.twitter.com/EaI0rQMTou
— Met Office (@metoffice) May 15, 2021
By Friday there had been 91 per cent of the expected rainfall for the entire month, with 63.5mm having fallen already.
The wettest May on record was in 1967, when 131.7mm of rain fell across the UK.
Met Office forecaster Steven Keates said even if the record is not broken, it will be a “notably wet month”.
He said: “If you were to extrapolate what we’ve had so far and say the second half of the month was similar to the first, then you would probably be challenging a record wet May.
“On the basis that a fair amount of rain is probably quite likely over the next couple of weeks, it’s probably going to be up there.”
Monday, when pubs and restaurants can reopen indoors in England will be a day of sunshine and showers, he said.
Well done if you said 131.7 mm! This happened in 1967.
So far in May 2021 (up to and including 14th), the UK as a whole has recorded 63.5 mm of rain 🌧️— Met Office (@metoffice) May 15, 2021
“It’s sunglasses one minute and umbrellas the next,” he added.
There are likely to be heavy showers with a risk of thunder “up and down the country”, he said.
He added: “So if you can go in, it might be the best option.”
There is hope for drier weather as spring comes to an end.
“There are hints, however, as we move towards the turn of the month into June of perhaps a bit of a dry trend,” said Mr Keates.
“So some tentative glimmers of light at the end of the tunnel.”
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