London weather: Capital faces bank holiday washout with more rain on the cards over next few days

Sami Quadri
·2-min read

London faces a bank holiday washout with heavy winds and rain set to hit southern England on Monday, forecasters have warned.

The capital is expected to see cloudy and rainy weather with brief sunny spells and gusty winds this weekend.

Those planning to spend time outdoors should wear waterproofs with rainfall expected on Saturday and Sunday evening.

An area of low pressure over central Europe is currently pushing a warm air plume from the east across parts of the UK, triggering heavy showers and thunderstorms on Friday.

A yellow weather warning for thunderstorms covers much of central England and parts of Wales until Saturday morning.

Deputy Chief Meteorologist Mark Sidaway said: “There continues to be uncertainty around the track of a low-pressure system which is expected to cross the southern UK this weekend, meaning there is some uncertainty about some of the forecast details.

“While it will remain unsettled with further showers or longer spells of rain, all areas should see some drier conditions at some point and, in any sunshine, it should feel quite warm.”

It comes after Thursday was declared the warmest day of the year for all four home nations.

A temperature of 23.4C was recorded in Santon Downham in Suffolk, beating the previous high of 22.1C from Wednesday.

The mercury hit 22.1C in Kinlochewe and Achnagart, beating Wednesday’s high of 21.9C in Aultbea.

In Wales, a high of 22.8C was felt in Hawarden, Flintshire, while the temperature hit 20.3C in Castlederg, CoTyrone, Northern Ireland.

Meanwhile, the Met Office recorded 4,840 lightning strikes across France and southern Britain overnight Thursday.

It said “plenty” of heavy rain and thunderstorms trampled its way across southern England and Wales on Wednesday night and the early hours of Thursday morning.

Two buildings in Sussex were damaged by lightning strikes, according to West Sussex Fire & Rescue.

A care home in Elmer was struck with damage to its roof while a university building in Chichester sustained damage to its roof and power system.

The service said no one was injured from the strikes and occupants were relocated to safety while the damage was assessed.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest stories

  • Coffee, eggs and white rice linked to higher levels of PFAS in human body

    US study that researchers say highlights chemicals’ ubiquity also shows PFAS association with seafood and red meat

  • Indonesia launches first EV battery plant

    Indonesia launched its first electric vehicle battery plant on Wednesday, President Joko Widodo said, as Southeast Asian countries move to gain a foothold in the emerging industry.The plant is part of a $9.8 billion electric vehicle battery deal signed between Indonesia and LG in 2020.

  • 'It's all gone': floods in southern China devastate residents

    STORY: This shop owner in southern China's Hunan Province is busy cleaning up debris on Wednesday after heavy rainfall and flooding devastated her stationary store.She says she didn't receive any notice to move her goods and asks: "How can a family survive in this situation?"Heavy rainfall pounded parts of Hunan earlier this week, causing the water level of a local river to reach its highest level in 70 years.Local authorities have activated the maximum emergency response level.This restaurant owner said she had to flee before it became impossible to get herself out.Now, with her business flooded - she says she is heartbroken and doesn't know how she will provide for her children.Last week, President Xi Jinping urged authorities to put in all-out efforts to protect lives as floods and natural disasters increased.China has provided more than $316.4 million in funds to help with rescue efforts and emergency supplies as deadly floods and landslides caused by almost two weeks of torrential rain ravage several parts of the country.In Changsha, the capital of Hunan, the Xiang and Laodao rivers are expected to hit peak dangerous levels Thursday morning, state media reported.

  • Air Force Hurricane Hunters Fly Into Eye of Hurricane Beryl

    Members of the US Air Force Hurricane Hunters flew into the eye of Hurricane Beryl on Tuesday, July 2, to collect data as the storm churned across the Caribbean Sea.This footage was captured and posted by the Air Force Reserve 403rd Wing

  • Cruise lines forced to change plans as Hurricane Beryl moves through the Caribbean

    Hurricane Beryl is heading towards Jamaica after killing at least six people in the eastern Caribbean

  • Freya the rescued lion cub is safe in South Africa, but many other lions there are bred to be shot

    Freya, a 6-month-old lion cub rescued from the wildlife trade in Lebanon, poked a curious nose out of her transport crate and sniffed the air. Satisfied, she took her first cautious steps in her new forever home in a sanctuary in South Africa. Freya's relocation to the Drakenstein Lion Park is only a partial success story.

  • The destructive impact of Hurricane Beryl in photos

    Hurricane Beryl strengthened to Category 5 status late Monday after it ripped doors, windows and roofs off homes across the southeastern Caribbean with devastating winds and storm surge fueled by the Atlantic's record warmth.

  • To save spotted owls, US officials plan to kill hundreds of thousands of another owl species

    To save the imperiled spotted owl from potential extinction, U.S. wildlife officials are embracing a contentious plan to deploy trained shooters into dense West Coast forests to kill almost a half-million barred owls that are crowding out their cousins.

  • What Is the Most Dangerous Animal in the World?

    It's hard to say what is the most dangerous animal in the world; you're not comparing apples to apples. But when it comes dangerous, these four top the list.

  • Philippine town cleans up beach in exchange for rice

    STORY: :: Mabini, PhilippinesPlastic waste litters the shores of this resort town near Manila, the Philippines' sprawling capital.This coastal cleanup crew is trying to hold back the steady flood of waste.But each sack of they gather doesn't go unrewarded. They get a two-pound bag of rice in exchange, enough for a small family's needs.:: This Earth Green campaigners say the exchange can educate the community about why protecting the environment is so critical, all while keeping the shores clean, and as inflation bites, keeping people here, like Janeth Aceveda, afloat. "The exchange is a huge help for us because in a month I need four and a half sacks of rice, but now all I have to buy is two sacks, which is a huge help in saving money. It also helps the environment and it shows when our surroundings are clean." Mabini in Batangas province is a world-class scuba diving destination, known for its vibrant corals and marine biodiversity. But a rising tide of plastic pollution is posing an increasing threat to marine life. Organizer Giulio Endaya has witnessed the harm first hand. :: Giulio Endaya, Exchange organizer"I've seen sea turtles entangled in nets and other types of plastics. They've been known to eat straws and plastic bags, and the fish also eat microplastics that have been, you know, broken down in the shore. And recently we've been finding more and more microplastics even in fish that we eat, so it's also harmful to us." To untangle the problem, Endaya and his group of volunteers spearheaded the ‘Plastic Palit Bigas’– or ‘plastic in exchange for rice’– program. The project is funded by donations from individuals and small companies that advocate for marine conservation. Through the exchange, Mabini volunteers can turn in sacks of litter, regardless of weight, for a kilogram– or 2.2 pounds– of rice. Volunteer Raymond Basit says it’s been a potent incentive. "It helps a lot because people now have an urge, because of poverty and especially during these times, the price of goods is so high. Now during their free time they can clean, and they push themselves to clean because they get something in return, which is a big help for them." An updated 2022 University of Oxford report found that The Philippines accounts for 36% of the total global input of plastic waste into the ocean, more than any other country. The plastic for rice exchange aims to change that. :: 4.7 tonsAccording to Endaya, since clean-up efforts began in October 2022, more than 4.7 U.S. tons of garbage have been collected and exchanged for nearly 3 tons of rice.

  • Hurricane Beryl to hit Cayman Islands after death toll from Category 3 storm rises to ten: Live updates

    Hurricane Beryl devastated Jamaica on Wednesday, destroying buildings and knocking out power for 400,000 customers

  • Not politics, not interest rates: India's surging economy at risk from water

    Water delivered by tankers provides one additional bucket to each of its 1,000 residents for drinking and cooking. In parts of the arid state of Rajasthan, southwest of the Indian capital, tap water is available once every four days for an hour. In rural areas near Mumbai, women and children travel more than a mile to get water.

  • Brazil's industrial output falls less than expected in May

    Industrial production in Brazil fell 0.9% in May from April, government statistics agency IBGE said on Wednesday, below the 1.7% decline estimated by analysts polled by Reuters. According to IBGE survey manager Andre Macedo, Brazil's industrial output was impacted in May by historic rains and floods in the country's southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul. Industrial production in Brazil now stands 1.4% below pre-pandemic levels.

  • Newborn white rhino Silverio takes his giant first steps in a Chilean zoo in a boost to his species

    Hannah, a 13-year-old white rhinoceros, has delivered a newborn calf in a rare zoo birth for the almost endangered species. The arrival of the male calf, named Silverio, two weeks ago marked the third time that a white rhino had ever been born in South America. The Buin Zoo in Chile's capital of Santiago unveiled Silverio to the public on Tuesday as he took his first giant-footed steps after 12 days of medical care in confinement.

  • Can the West Afford to Ditch Cheap Chinese Green Tech Imports?

    The U.S. and EU are imposing tariffs on Chinese clean energy products to boost domestic industries, but experts warn this could slow the global green transition and increase consumer costs.

  • Wildlife officials plan to kill hundreds of thousands of barred owls to save spotted owls

    The federal government issued a plan Wednesday that could eliminate 400,000 barred owls, an invasive species, to protect threatened spotted owls in the western U.S. Barred owls, those that will be killed if the plan is finalized, are native to the eastern U.S., but likely migrated west due to man-made changes to the Great Plains…

  • Rare plants hidden in toys - and other trafficking tactics

    How endangered species are smuggled out of Africa and what is being done to prevent it.

  • Moscow hit by heat not seen in over a century

    Moscow and the surrounding region sweltered Wednesday as temperatures soared to levels unseen in over a century, with the state weather monitor warning of dangerously hot nights. The heatwave has hit the Moscow region as well as the southern and western Kursk, Belgorod and Voronezh regions. bur/fg

  • Diavik's solar plant is running. Officials hope it can be 'deployed elsewhere' when mine closes

    Rio Tinto says its 3.5-megawatt solar plant, which it calls the North's biggest off-grid solar operation, is up and running at Diavik Diamond Mine in the N.W.T. The 6,620 solar panels are expected to generate 4.2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, according to a press release from the company — amounting to 25 per cent of the electricity needed for closure work that's slated to happen between 2026 and 2029. Currently, while the mine is still in production, the plant is generating 2.

  • The secret plight of seagulls – and why we should learn to love them

    A great annual conflict is underway. Each summer, as hordes of holidaymakers descend on beaches and seaside towns across the country, humans and seagulls come face to face in a chip-based standoff. ‘Giant swarms’ of gulls apparently attack beachgoers, traumatise children – and fill the tabloids. Gulls are even being blamed for postal delays: last month, Royal Mail claimed that aggressive birds had prevented postmen from making deliveries in Liskeard, Cornwall.