Saturday’s soaking rain
There’s no doubt that the weather across the UK has been disappointing this week. Cloud, rain and brisk winds have been the main theme, with temperatures below where they should be for this time of year.
Whilst there are some hints that the weather may become more settled into the early part of June, for now, the low pressure is firmly in control.
One particularly notable area of low pressure will move across us tomorrow, with northern areas likely to see the most significant rainfall.
The air that is arriving with the weather system is very moist and has the potential to bring a considerable amount of rain – especially across the hills and mountains as air is forced upwards, squeezing even more moisture from the clouds.
Although there is a little uncertainty as to the exact position of the heaviest rain, it looks like northern England, Northern Ireland and eastern parts of Scotland will see the greatest amount of rainfall.
By the end of Saturday, 20-30mm of rain is expected to have fallen widely, with as much as 40-60mm over the hills and mountains.
Thankfully, with the ground having the capacity to soak up this heavy rainfall, the Environment Agency flood risk forecast suggests that the risk of flooding is low. Any flooding is expected to be localised, with just minor disruption.
For the rest of the UK on Saturday, there’ll be quite a bit of cloud, although southern parts of England and Wales will see some spells of sunshine.
On Sunday, it’s looking a little more mixed. Scotland and Northern Ireland are likely to brighten up after a cloudy and damp start. For England and Wales, it’ll be the other way around. After a bright start, cloud will thicken with rain moving in through the day.
Next week starts unsettled, but as the week goes on high pressure may try to move in from the west. This would bring drier, brighter weather, with temperatures a little higher.
As ever, you can get the latest forecast on the Channel 4 Weather website. I’ll also be posting updates on Twitter – @liamdutton