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THE UK MAY see “blood rain” this week – as heavy thunderstorms mix with a dust cloud, forecasters say.
Red or orange rain could fall in some parts of the country, as downpours, lightning, strong winds and hail move in.
According to the Met Office, “blood rain” occurs when relatively high concentrations of red coloured dust or particles get mixed with rain, giving it a red appearance as it falls.
A yellow thunderstorm warning was in place until the early hours of this morning in London and the south-east, with people in the area warned of disruption to travel.
It comes just days after Britons basked in the country’s hottest day of the year on Tuesday, with temperatures in the south-east peakng at 27.5C
Read our weather blog for the latest news and updates…
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‘Showery and unsettled conditions’ for next five days
The Met Office predicted “showery and unsettled” conditions for the next five days.
The country should expect a breezy and cooler Friday with risk of heavier rain in the West.
Temperatures will stay between 11C in the North, rising to the mid-teens elsewhere and reaching 16C in London this afternoon.
But tonight will feel even breezier and chillier, while West Scotland in particular will face persistent showers.
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Unsettled weather to come says Met Office
A Met Office spokesperson said: “Weather’s going to be a bit more unsettled over the next week.
“This weekend you’ll see some rain today, some of the heavy rain moving eastwards across England and the North of the country having showers later.
“The overall picture is for showers with some dry spells, but most people are going to see a bit of rain this weekend.
“Most of that rain will be in the West tomorrow and in the Northwest in the evening.
“It will probably stay relatively fine in the South and East of the country and then on Sunday another front will be bringing showers across from the West.
“Some of these might be thundery perhaps in the Southeast corner and maybe up in the Northwest, with most places feeling cooler particularly going into next week.
“Generally things are cooling off and we’ll be seeing a series of weather fronts being brought in from the Atlantic by quite a strong jet stream over the next week.”
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Early June forecast
Rather changeable at the start of the period, with spells of rain or showers for many areas, some of these heavy and thundery.
A change in weather is likely as we move from May into June, with a shift towards more settled, drier conditions.
Showers still remain a possibility in some places, but a drier end to the period is likely for most.
We can expect temperatures to continue to be warm or very warm, but likely to move back to nearer normal through June.
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May 6/4 to be WETTEST on record
Ladbrokes has slashed its odds on this May going down as the wettest on record.
Having been a 2/1 shot earlier this week, the bookies have now cut odds to just 6/4 on this being the wettest May EVER.
Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: “It’s looking increasingly likely this rain isn’t going anywhere, and we could be set for a record-breaking wet May as a result.”
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UK weather has been hotter than Santorini this week
The cooler climate comes after days of scorching sunshine, including the hottest day of the year so far.
Tuesday topped the temperature charts, with the mercury hitting a balmy 27.5C in Heathrow during the afternoon.
It meant the weather was better here than in holiday hotspot Santorini, where it reached only 26C.
But the heat was followed by grey skies and overnight downpours for many.
Heading into this weekend, the UK can expect some rainy weather – from oubreaks of drizzle to full blown thunder and lightning.
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Saturday likely to be drier than today
Saturday will most likely be drier and brighter than today, feeling slightly warmer with highs of 18C in some areas.
However, thick clouds will move into western areas bringing rain to the Northwest later.
From Sunday onwards, Brits will experience unsettled bouts of both showers and sunny spells.
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Unstable weather could lead to temps reaching 30C
This week’s unstable weather is driven by a plume of humid air from Africa.
It comes as leading bookmaker Coral cut the odds to 4-5 (from 6-4) on temperatures reaching as high as 30C during the Platinum Jubilee weekend.
The firm makes it 5-4 for this month to be a record hot May, while it is 1-2 for this summer to be the hottest ever in the UK.
“Our betting suggests we could be set for glorious weather during the Platinum Jubilee weekend, as we make it odds-on for temperatures to reach as high as 30C,” said Coral’s John Hill.
“Looking further ahead, the odds continue to fall on this summer being the hottest ever in the UK,” added Hill.
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What is the blood rain phenomenon?
Blood rain is a term for red-hued rain, which is often the result strong winds and storms whipping dust and sand up into the air, which remain airborne and carried across for several miles.
The Met Office explained that blood rain occurs when “relatively high concentrations of red coloured dust or particles get mixed into rain”, thus giving the rain a red appearance as it falls.
Blood rain is not a very common phenomenon, as there needs to be fairly high concentrations of red dust in the rain for it to actually appear red in colour.
The Met Office website continued: “The dust we see is usually yellow or brown and mixed in very low concentrations – so the rain would look just the same as usual. The only difference would be that you might find a thin film of dust on your car or windows after the water has evaporated.”
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Forecast for today
There will be large areas of cloud around during the morning with patchy outbreaks of rain and drizzle across England and Wales.
Rain across Northern Ireland and the Western Isles will push eastwards during the afternoon bringing rain and showers to western Britain which may be heavy and thundery.
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Unstable weather could lead to temps reaching 30C
This week’s unstable weather is driven by a plume of humid air from Africa.
It comes as leading bookmaker Coral cut the odds to 4-5 (from 6-4) on temperatures reaching as high as 30C during the Platinum Jubilee weekend.
The firm makes it 5-4 for this month to be a record hot May, while it is 1-2 for this summer to be the hottest ever in the UK.
“Our betting suggests we could be set for glorious weather during the Platinum Jubilee weekend, as we make it odds-on for temperatures to reach as high as 30C,” said Coral’s John Hill.
“Looking further ahead, the odds continue to fall on this summer being the hottest ever in the UK,” added Hill.
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Exact date blood rain will fall in the UK
A cloud of Saharan dust is thought to be making its way across the Atlantic ocean towards the Caribbean and is expected to sweep across western Europe and South East England on Friday May 20 as well as Saturday May 21.
This could bring drizzle that might be tinted red in some parts of the UK.
Richard Miles from the Met Office explained: “There are some dust concentrations in the atmosphere above the UK at present which might well be washed out in the rain tonight, but it’s likely to be relatively small amounts on the whole.”
Weather is expected to be dry for the rest of today, ahead of the blood rain forecast tomorrow.
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Forecast for today
There will be large areas of cloud around during the morning with patchy outbreaks of rain and drizzle across England and Wales.
Rain across Northern Ireland and the Western Isles will push eastwards during the afternoon bringing rain and showers to western Britain which may be heavy and thundery.
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Early June forecast
Rather changeable at the start of the period, with spells of rain or showers for many areas, some of these heavy and thundery.
A change in weather is likely as we move from May into June, with a shift towards more settled, drier conditions.
Showers still remain a possibility in some places, but a drier end to the period is likely for most.
We can expect temperatures to continue to be warm or very warm, but likely to move back to nearer normal through June.
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Odds on having hottest ever summer
Leading bookmaker Coral has cut the odds to 4-5 (from 2-1) on the UK having its hottest ever summer this year.
The firm go 2-1 for this month to be a record hot May, while it is 5-2 for 30C or higher being recorded this month in the UK.
“We now make it odds-on for the UK to have a record hot summer this year. All the latest forecasts point to a sizzling summer,” said Coral’s John Hill.
“The outlook for the rest of May is very bright. Our betting is pointing to temperatures reaching close to 30C,” added Hill.
Coral’s UK weather odds:
- 4-5 Record hot summer
- 2-1 Record hot May
- 5-2 30C or higher being recorded in May
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Celebrate World Bee Day this Friday
To mark World Bee Day, Lidl is giving away free packs of mixed annual flower seeds in stores nationwide – for one day only on Friday 20th May
As the warmer weather sets in this week, Lidl shoppers can also get their hands on a range of picture-perfect plants that boost biodiversity.
Shoppers should simply ask at the checkout for a pack, before getting planting a garden that’s guaranteed make the neighbours jealous and help local Bee communities.
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Explained: What is blood rain?
Blood rain is a term for red-hued rain, which is often the result strong winds and storms whipping dust and sand up into the air, which remain airborne and carried across for several miles.
The Met Office explained that blood rain occurs when “relatively high concentrations of red coloured dust or particles get mixed into rain”, thus giving the rain a red appearance as it falls.
Blood rain is not a very common phenomenon, as there needs to be fairly high concentrations of red dust in the rain for it to actually appear red in colour.
The Met Office website continued: “The dust we see is usually yellow or brown and mixed in very low concentrations – so the rain would look just the same as usual. The only difference would be that you might find a thin film of dust on your car or windows after the water has evaporated.”
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Tips on how to keep your bedroom cool
With hot weather unavoidable, and not everyone being able to get their hands on a fan, bedrooms are no longer the restful haven we head to in the evenings as we struggle to sleep in the heat.
With this in mind, Molly Freshwater, Co-founder of luxury bed linen retailer Secret Linen Store has provided her top tips on how to keep your bedroom cool while you’re trying to sleep:
- Ice and fan – If you are lucky enough to have a fan at your disposal, and you don’t mind the white noise or are able to keep it on all night, simply place a large bowl filled with ice cubes in front of your fan. The idea is that as the ice melts, the fan disperses a cool breeze, making your fan work that little bit harder to keep you cool
- Don’t sleep naked – Sleeping naked can be the worst thing to keep you cool. Naturally as we sleep, we sweat, more so in warmer months, and this sweat collects on the body and stays there if sleeping with nothing on. Instead, opt for lightweight, cotton pyjamas
- Choose the right bed linen – In summer, you may want to swap out your thicker bed linen for a fabric that is lighter. Linen bedding is a great alternative as it helps to keep your bed ventilated, and therefore keep you cooler compared to thicker fabrics
- Hang a damp sheet in your window – When the cooler evening wind catches the damp sheets in the window, it will help to disperse a cool breeze across the room, making the most of any breeze and leave it feeling less humid
- Put your socks in the freezer – This may sound strange to the vast majority, but by cooling your feet, it helps to cool the body. During the day, place clean socks in the fridge or freezer. Sometime before you head to bed, put on the cool socks and this should have a cooling effect on the body – but remove them just before you actually hop into bed
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Tonight’s weather
A largely dry and bright evening with late spells of sunshine and patchy cloud.
Overnight will then be dry with clear spells however rain will spread into the Western Isles and Northern Ireland.
Further south, variable amounts of cloud will build bringing patchy drizzle across the south-west by dawn.
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Weather to remain inconsistent into Friday
The outlook for Friday is similar to today, with sunny spells interrupted by periods of rain.
While not as extreme as the storms that hit the UK last night, the weather will be cool for this time of year.
Speaking on tomorrow’s weather, the Met Office said: “Patchy rain in south clearing during the morning.
“A bright start elsewhere with a rain band moving across Northern Ireland and west Scotland, before turning showery across rest of UK”.
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Thank you for reading my coverage this evening. Joe Gamp will be back with you tomorrow morning.
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Weekend outlook: periods of sunshine broken up by rainy spells
After a scorching start to the week, the weekend is likely to be cooler.
According to the Met Office, the end of the week will be pleasant, but often marked with spells of rain.
The organisation noted: “Saturday fine for most with sunny spells but rain spreading into northwestern areas. Sunday still fine in the southeast, rain or showers elsewhere. Sunshine and showers for most on Monday.”
While the weekend is unlikely to be one of glorious sunshine, reports suggest that temperatures are set to rise before the end of the month.
Indeed, as we approach Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee, the sun is set to become a constant across the country.
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Brits face ‘record’ heatwaves this summer
Looking into the long- range summer weather James Madden, forecaster for Exacta Weather, has said: “The overall summer forecast is now pointing towards at least four or five major heatwaves.”
The Met Office’s three-month weather outlook is more conservative, with forecasters predicting a “40% chance” this summer “will be significantly hotter than average”.
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Odds on having hottest ever summer
Leading bookmaker Coral has cut the odds to 4-5 (from 2-1) on the UK having its hottest ever summer this year.
The firm go 2-1 for this month to be a record hot May, while it is 5-2 for 30C or higher being recorded this month in the UK.
“We now make it odds-on for the UK to have a record hot summer this year. All the latest forecasts point to a sizzling summer,” said Coral’s John Hill.
“The outlook for the rest of May is very bright. Our betting is pointing to temperatures reaching close to 30C,” added Hill.
Coral’s UK weather odds:
- 4-5 Record hot summer
- 2-1 Record hot May
- 5-2 30C or higher being recorded in May
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Early June forecast
Rather changeable at the start of the period, with spells of rain or showers for many areas, some of these heavy and thundery.
A change in weather is likely as we move from May into June, with a shift towards more settled, drier conditions.
Showers still remain a possibility in some places, but a drier end to the period is likely for most.
We can expect temperatures to continue to be warm or very warm, but likely to move back to nearer normal through June.
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A fine end to the day
The Met Office has said that it will be a ‘fine end’ to Thursday.
For most of us, there will be some evening sunshine.
In the far northwest however, the Met Office has forecast that it will be ‘cloudier and breezier… with a few showers’.
