“It Looks As If Temperatures Will Stay Below Average for June” Says Met Office
As British summertime rolls in, the familiar rainfall has made its appearance, and it seems we may have to endure the chill for a while longer. The unseasonably cold temperatures this June can be attributed to cold winds blowing in from the Arctic, according to weather forecasters. Over the past week, the UK has experienced temperatures three to five degrees below the seasonal average, driven by a mid-Atlantic jet stream directing wind from the north to the south.
Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge has indicated that the outlook for the rest of June remains bleak. “It looks as if temperatures will stay near or slightly below average for the majority of the rest of June. Over the next couple of nights, we’re actually expecting to see a little bit of frost in a few places,” he said.
Partridge highlighted that Scotland, northern England, and Northern Ireland are the areas most likely to be affected, with temperatures potentially dropping to around freezing. Despite this, he reassured that such weather patterns are not “unusual” for this time of year. “On average, we get an air frost – which is when the temperatures reach zero – every two to three Junes. So it’s not that unusual. It’s just not the norm for June to be this cool,” he explained.
As we approach the weekend, the weather is set to deteriorate further in parts of northern England due to low pressure. Partridge noted, “There will be an area of low pressure sat over the northern part of the UK, which will unfortunately bring more unsettled weather to the UK. From Thursday onwards and through the weekend, we’ll see showers circulating around the UK.”
However, there is a silver lining. “Temperatures will improve because that low pressure will cut off the supply of cold air across the UK, and as a result, we’ll see the source of air coming from the west causing night-time temperatures to pick up a little. In the daytime, we’ll still be staying a degree or so below average, but the big difference is it will mean that overnight temperatures will pick up so our nights won’t be as cold,” Partridge added.
Looking ahead to July, Partridge admitted that there is “no strong signal” of any specific weather pattern but suggested that conditions should become warmer and drier. “The models are following the climatological norm, which indicates that temperatures are where they should be or slightly above average. So there is a hint of things turning slightly warmer as we move into the beginning of July, and it does look as if some spells of drier weather will become a bit more likely,” he said.
In the immediate future, tomorrow is expected to be another bright but cool day for this time of year, with sunny spells and scattered showers, particularly focused in the east. From Thursday to Saturday, the UK will see outbreaks of rain pushing northeastwards, accompanied by brisk winds, followed by sunny spells and heavy, thundery showers on Friday and Saturday, keeping the weather rather cool and breezy.