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This is the official blog of the Met Office news team, intended to provide journalists and bloggers with the latest weather, climate science and business news and information from the Met Office.
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- Need some shade from the #hot #sunshine today? ☀️ A trip to an abbey might just do the trick! ⛪ #staycation… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 21 minutes ago
- Good morning! Thunderstorms will soon clear the northeast, leaving a few showers in the far north. Some low cloud a… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 1 hour ago
- We've seen some cracking #sunset and #sunrise photos 🌄 Here are a few of our favourites 📸 #LoveUKWeather https://t.co/5ss6G0jnNu 2 hours ago
- The skies will be mostly #sunny today ☀️ Meaning largely high #pollen and #UV levels are likely🌺🧴 https://t.co/Q4XCU1Oorh 2 hours ago
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Thunderstorms are on the way tonight ⛈⬇️ . The storms have been brewing this afternoon over northern France and the Bay of Biscay. . As they come over the UK tonight they are expected to provide a dramatic lightning show. . Potentially damaging hail stones and gusty winds will accompany the thunderstorms too. . As is usual with summer thunderstorms not everywhere will experience them, but where they do arrive there may be impacts. . A warning has been issued, stay #WeatherAware. . . #ukweather #thunderstorm #france #bayofbiscay #hail #winds #warning⚠️The mercury is rising this week - and records could be broken 😮🌡 . Hot air will waft our way from Spain, with temperatures climbing widely across the UK from Tuesday. . It won't just be hot and sunny in London. 29 °C is likely in the north of Scotland on Thursday and highs into the low 30s are possible in northern England and south Wales during the next few days. . However, the very highest temperatures are expected to be recorded in southeast England. . This is where temperatures are expected to climb to 34 °C on Tuesday and 35 °C by Wednesday. . Thursday will be even hotter. So hot, in fact, that the most likely temperature in London is 37 °C. That would break the UK July temperature record. There's even a 30 % chance that the temperature will exceed the UK all-time record of 38.5 °C. . And it's not just about the high daytime temperatures. With high humidity in the forecast, nights will be very uncomfortable. . Of course, many people on their summer holidays will be looking forward to a few days of hot sunshine. But in some places the oppressive heat and humidity will be a risk to vulnerable people. With high UV levels expected as well as oppressive heat and humidity, make sure you take precautions so that you can stay safe in this week's hot weather. . . #recordbreaking #spain #ukweather #hot #heat #humidityHere’s a fantastic photo just before #sunrise this #SundayMorning by @CarlaSears, but will we see skies like this over the coming days? The forecast below might give you some clues. . Headline: Turning wet and windy in the northwest. Drier in south. . This Evening and Tonight: Rain in Northern Ireland and western Scotland will spread into northwest England and Wales, with some heavy outbreaks and strong winds. Further south it will be mostly dry, with clear spells, but it will be breezy. . Monday: After a cloudy and wet start for some, the rain will become confined to western Scotland. Otherwise, warm sunny spells will develop away from windward coasts. . Outlook for Tuesday to Thursday: Sunny Tuesday, and very warm or hot. Thunderstorms likely in west later, lasting into Wednesday. Exceptionally warm night southeast, and hot here Wednesday, Thursday. Fresher in west, risk of thunder.Hotter weather 🌡 is on the way next week - across much of western Europe, including parts of the UK 🇬🇧 . Higher humidities have already arrived in the UK - accompanied by heavy rain and thunderstorms in some places during Friday night and Saturday. . Sunnier ☀️ skies arrive during Sunday and Monday, with temperatures rising significantly during the start of next next week. . Inland Spain 🇪🇸 could reach the low 40s Celsius, whilst parts of France 🇫🇷 reach the high 30s Celsius. . Although we are unlikely to see temperatures that high in the UK, southern areas could still see highs approaching the mid-30s by midweek, with mid-20s in southern and eastern Scotland. . Not everywhere will be sunny, however. Western Scotland, North West England and Northern Ireland are likely to be cloudy, wet and windy at times - especially early next week. . . . #loveukweather #heatwavePlanning a #staycation? 🙌🏻 . Each day, we're going to pinpoint some beautiful locations around the UK. . We'll highlight the brightest and sunniest weather ☀️ . Got a favourite spot? Comment below 👇 . . #loveukweatherIs it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a swarm of flying ants! 😮 . Normally, our radar network only detects rain or snow. This morning, large blobs of blue appeared over parts of southern and eastern England – despite the weather being dry. . So, why does the radar detect flying ants and not other insect or even birds? . Radio waves emitted from an antenna travel out at the speed of light, only bouncing back when they encounter an object. When radar was first used during the Second World War, we were trying to detect enemy targets and not rain or snow. On a clear day, radar could quickly tell us the position of aircraft in the sky. On a wet day, echoes visible from the radar signal would only tell us about the weather. . Since the 1950s, radar has told us more and more about the weather as it happens – from rain to snow and from light drizzle to supercell thunderstorms. . The UK is now covered by 15 radar sites, collecting data at 1 km resolution every five minutes. . However, anything from birds and insects in the sky to hills and buildings on the ground can and have interfered with the vertical radar signal and returned false data. . Since a recent upgrade of the UK radar network, we now send two radar beams at once using a technology known as dual-polarisation. . One beam travels horizontally, one vertically, allowing us to build a 3D picture of any objects in the sky. There are now thresholds in place that allow us to discount larger objects such as birds or flies. Flying ants are so small, they slip under the threshold. But if the threshold were smaller, we’d miss some of the rain or snow in the sky. . . #flyingants #radar #weird #satellite #uk #ukweather #wednesdaywisdomArchives
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Met Office News- A cold and bright Bank Holiday weekend 2 May, 2019
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Top Posts
Monthly Archives: February 2014
The Met Office’s outlook for UK winter 2013-14
There are some headlines in the media today discussing the Met Office long range forecast for this winter. Firstly it’s important to remember that it’s our short and medium term forecasts that are relied on by emergency responders to help … Continue reading
Winter so far – 20th February rainfall update
The latest rainfall update from the Met Office National Climate Information Centre shows that this has been the UK’s wettest winter on record in the national series going back to 1910. These provisional rainfall statistics for the winter so far … Continue reading
Winter so far – 18th February rainfall update
As the UK heads into a period of more normal unsettled winter weather weather, the Met Office’s National Climate Information Centre has looked at statistics for this winter so far (from 1 December 2013 to 13 February 2014). These add … Continue reading
Posted in Met Office News
Tagged climate change, december, February, Floods, january, Met Office statistics, rainfall, record breaking, storms, Winter
3 Comments
Met Office in the Media: 16 February 2014, response by Professor Mat Collins and the Met Office
An article by David Rose appeared yesterday in the Mail on Sunday entitled: ‘No, global warming did NOT cause the storms, says one of the Met Office’s most senior experts’ In it he says that Mat Collins, Professor in Climate … Continue reading
Met Office rainfall records – how far do they go back and what can they tell us?
As we have seen over recent weeks and months, observations for the UK are essential to put recent weather into context and to detect variations and possible long-term trends in UK climate. So, when the Met Office quotes “the wettest … Continue reading
January weather summary
January saw a succession of weather systems tracking across the UK from the Atlantic which brought high winds, at times gale force, and persistent rain to the country. This extended a sequence of deep lows that began in mid-December. The … Continue reading
Posted in Met Office News
Tagged climate, january weather, Met Office, rain, rainfall, uk storm, wet weather, wettest january
12 February 2014 – Storm Statistics
The UK saw severe weather conditions throughout the course of Wednesday 12 February 2014 and as forecast the strongest winds hit the Welsh and Northwestern coast. Below you can see the highest gusts of wind and rainfall totals recorded at Met … Continue reading
Posted in Met Office News
Tagged flooding, gales, National Severe Weather Warning Service, storms
Statistics for winter so far
As the unsettled UK weather continues this week, the Met Office’s National Climate Information Centre have looked at statistics for this winter so far (from 1 December to 10 February). These add to previous facts and figures we put out earlier … Continue reading
UK’s exceptional weather in context
As the UK’s run of exceptionally wet and stormy weather continues, the Met Office’s National Climate Information Centre has looked at how the last two months compare in the historical records. Here’s some facts and figures for the weather we’ve … Continue reading
Posted in Met Office News
Tagged 2014, damage, december, flood, january, Met Office, rain, record, Storm, UK, weather, wind
9 Comments
Wind gusts and rainfall totals 4-5th February 2014
Last night another major Atlantic depression affected the UK, bringing further heavy rain and severe gales. Here are some of the highest gusts of wind and rainfall totals recorded at Met Office observing stations between 3pm yesterday and 8am today. … Continue reading
Posted in Met Office News
Tagged flood, Met Office, rain, Storm, UK, weather, wind
