Millions of Brits have been warned to brace themselves for a gloomy Bank Holiday with hailstorms, thunder and travel misery ahead this weekend – but it won’t impact everyone
The May Day Bank Holiday weekend could be a windy washout for many with some parts of the country still expected to see warm temperatures.
New maps show areas such as Edinburgh, Inverness, Newcastle, Birmingham, London and Southampton will witness heavy rainfall on Saturday. Strong winds up to 43 miles per hour might be felt across the parts of the country over the weekend as things turn soggy.
The Met Office warn that there could even be hailstorms and thunder with mixed news for many as hopes of a mini heatwave seem to evaporate. According to WXCharts, stormy conditions could last up to 18 hours leaving several parts of the UK covered with rain and battered by winds.
The national weather service says the forecast is ‘uncertain’ but it is predicting a ‘potential for a more unsettled spell’. The forecasters say that Wednesday will see heavy showers starting in the east and gradually moving westwards. From Thursday and through the bank holiday weekend, it could be unpleasant.
The forecast reads: “Largely cloudy, although some brighter spells likely too. Showery rain will move up from the south, bringing a risk of thunderstorms and hail at times. Feeling warm for many.
“It will be a fairly uncertain period through the bank holiday weekend with more likely a warm but cloudy period with bright spells, greatest in the north and showers more likely in the south. However there is also potential for a more unsettled spell to spread from the west with fresh winds and bands of rain mid-weekend, signals still unclear regards this.
“Into the new week all areas are likely to see a mixture of showery periods or spells of rain, though generally drier conditions expected. Overall, southern parts of the UK will probably be driest and sunniest with a north-westerly wind most likely bringing more changeable conditions across the north or northwest. Temperatures should remain close to or a little above normal for early May.” The rest of May is forecast to be unsettled with ‘some spells of wet weather likely for all.”
Drivers in the North West, East Anglia and South West are likely to become the hardest hit by heavy traffic on Monday and have also been urged to travel before 9am or after 5pm to cut down congestion on the weekend. The Met Office has shared that whilst people are heading out to make the most of their days off, it is “uncertain” on how great conditions will be. However, the weather service has predicted a “potential for a more unsettled spell”.
