Revellers attending events like the Reading Festival and the Notting Hill Carnival are being advised to prepare for a varied weather forecast, with a mix of sunshine and scattered showers expected throughout Sunday. The Met Office has warned of the potential for heavy downpours, thunder, and even hail in some areas.
Scattered showers are anticipated to begin in Scotland on Sunday morning before moving south into England. These showers could become heavy and thundery, particularly around the Leeds Festival site. While the Reading Festival and Notting Hill Carnival may experience occasional showers during the day, conditions are expected to become wetter into the evening.
Met Office meteorologist Honor Criswick noted that while some areas might start the day dry, showers are likely to develop. For Leeds Festival, showers could arrive by early afternoon and potentially become severe. Attendees at Reading Festival and Notting Hill Carnival might not be significantly affected for most of the day, with showers more likely from around 7 or 8 p.m. The South East could remain dry initially but may also see heavy, thundery showers later in the evening. Temperatures are generally expected to be in the low 20s Celsius.
Monday is forecast to be drier and brighter for many, though some showers are still possible, particularly in western areas and across northern Scotland. These showers on Monday are expected to be less heavy and thundery than those on Sunday, with more spells of sunshine. Despite the improvement, taking waterproofs is still advisable for festivalgoers. Maximum temperatures on Monday are predicted to be in the early 20s Celsius.
This weekend's events come after a period of hot weather across the UK, which followed extremely dry conditions. Nine areas were under Environment Agency flood alerts as of Saturday night. The UK has experienced several heatwaves this summer, with temperatures in London reaching up to 38.1C, putting the country on track for its hottest summer on record.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Notting Hill Carnival, which began in 1966. Saturday saw a quieter start with events like the Panorama steelband competition, but Sunday is anticipated to draw larger crowds for the main street carnival. Festivalgoers at Reading Festival have already been pictured navigating muddy conditions and rain, with many maintaining a positive spirit despite the weather.