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Issued: 0730hrs Saturday 29th July 2006
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling
First the heat, now the heavy rain
Sunday morning looks set to bring a phenomena many will not have seen in the southeast corner for many weeks, that of heavy rain! The reason for this is that the last vestiges of the hot weather will be clearing, finally being kicked and screaming out of the way by cooler Atlantic air.
Indications are that a band of patchy rain will pass through the UK tonight, bringing some reasonable rainfall to Scotland and northern England as well as Wales. By the time it reaches the Midlands it will become lighter. However, on Sunday morning the front responsible for the rain will meet the hot air in the southeast and "bang", air will be forced to rise and heavy rain will be the result.
So I'm expecting a period of heavy rain, perhaps giving 10 to 15mm of rain through the eastern Midlands, East Anglia and southeast England through the early hours of Sunday morning, this only slowly clearing eastern coasts into the early part of Sunday afternoon. There could be some thunderstorms too.
For more western and northern areas Sunday will be a brighter, fresher day with showers, some of them heavy, although where you are sheltered from the wind, such as the western Midlands, it may stay dry through the day.
We're then set for a more unsettled week in all areas, with rain and showers spreading eastwards, although by the end of the week things will be turning cooler.
Whatever the weather, keep the sun shining.
Simon