Festivalgoers and the public across large swathes of the United Kingdom are facing a significant change in weather, as the Met Office has issued a yellow warning for thunderstorms and heavy showers. This warning is in effect until 9 p.m. on Saturday and covers areas from the southwest of England and parts of Wales, extending across the Midlands to the east of England.
The adverse weather conditions present an increased risk of flooding for homes and businesses, alongside potential delays to train services and longer journey times for road travel. Forecasters anticipate rainfall of 15 to 25 millimeters within an hour in some regions, with accumulations of up to 30 millimeters possible over two to three hours. The combination of heavy rain, hail, and lightning is expected.
Events such as the Reading, Leeds, and other live music festivals are likely to experience rain throughout Saturday afternoon and evening as an area of low pressure moves eastward. This system will be followed by heavy showers, prompting attendees to don ponchos and wellington boots. Even sporting events, like day three of the second Rothesay Test match between England and Pakistan at Lord's in London, saw umbrellas in use.
Currently, four areas, primarily in the Midlands, are under Environment Agency flood alerts, indicating that localized flooding is possible. This period of unsettled weather follows a spell of hot temperatures across the UK, which had contributed to extremely dry conditions.
Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst explained that an area of low pressure is moving across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, bringing rain that will be succeeded by heavy showers. Temperatures are generally expected to be in the low 20s Celsius, with highs of 22 to 23 degrees Celsius.
Scotland is anticipated to have a different weather pattern, with cloudy conditions but some brighter spells. Sunday is predicted to bring a mix of sunshine and showers, particularly in the north and west of the UK, with some thundery activity. Temperatures on Sunday might rise slightly due to increased sunshine, reaching 20 to 23 degrees Celsius, with isolated areas potentially seeing 24 degrees Celsius.
Looking ahead to Monday, most areas are expected to have brighter conditions with clouds and showers, which may be more frequent in the northern parts of the UK. Temperatures on Monday are forecast to be between 19 to 22 degrees Celsius, possibly reaching 23 degrees Celsius locally.
Wind gusts of 35 to 40 mph are possible along the south coast on Saturday. Sunday could also see gusty winds at Leeds Festival if heavier showers occur. These weather conditions follow what Met Office experts have indicated could be the hottest summer on record for the UK, with temperatures previously reaching up to 38.1 degrees Celsius in London after five heatwaves.