New UK weather maps suggest that summer is definitely over as a huge storm looks set to cover much of the country later this month. Maps generated by WXCharts today (September 8) show a huge band of heavy rain – extending some 418 miles from the north coast of Northern Ireland to southeast England – descending on Friday, September 19.
While much of the UK looks set to face these damp conditions, several major cities across England and in Northern Ireland will be hit the hardest. On one side of the Irish Sea, it is the capital, Belfast, that is predicted to see the heaviest rain, along with much of the northern coast of the nation. Here, as much as 5mm/hr of rain is expected to fall, dropping to 2-3mm/hr further south. At the border with the Republic of Ireland, WXCharts predicts that some 0.2-1mm/hr of rain will fall, if the maps prove accurate this far ahead. The maps produce a similar picture on the other side of the Irish Sea.
In England, the cities of London, Birmingham, Newcastle and Manchester look set to be hit by the heaviest rain. According to WXCHarts, the country’s capital will see between 3-5mm/hr of rain, while further north, Birmingham could see as much as 10mm/hr. The north coast of Wales is also predicted to see heavier downpours compared to the rest of the nation, where in Cardiff, only as much as 1mm/hr is expected.
Further north, Manchester does not appear to have escaped from the rain, with 1-2mm/hr predicted. Meanwhile, near the border wth Scotland, Newcastle will see the heaviest rain in northern England, with between 3-5mm/hr of rain. For once, Scotland appears to have avoided much of the worst weather, with Edinburgh only predicted to receive up to 1mm/hr, while Aberdeen will remain dry.
Finally, the East Coast in Norfolk and Suffolk will also remain dry, as will much of the West Country – including Dorset, Devon and Cornwall – will also escape the wet weather. The easternmost tip of Kent, near Dover, is also predicted to remain dry on September 19.
A second weather map for September 19, also generated on Monday, predicts that the rain will be coupled with rather chilly temperatures compared with what has been seen lately. The WXCharts map, predicting maximum temperatures, suggests that the mercury will only hit a high of 14C near London and 15C near Dover.
Meanwhile in the Scottish Highlands and Wales temperatures may only peak at 9C. Much of England and Northern Ireland will remain between 11-13C on this date.
These new maps come as weather maps for later in the month predict the UK may be set to see an Indian Summer, with top temperatures of 25C in Greater London at 6pm on Monday, September 22.