Brits are preparing for the temperature to shoot up in recent months as the Met Office revealed the higher-than-normal chances of a hot summer. The weather agency’s three-month outlook from May to July this year said there is 2.3 times the normal chance of this period being hot, which equates to a 45% chance.
Its summary reads: “The chance of a hot period is higher than normal albeit similar to recent years. This brings an increased risk of heatwaves and heat-related impacts. Near average rainfall most likely for the UK buth with a slightly higher-than-normal chance of wet.” There is also only a 5% chance that the season will be cool – 0.3 times the normal chance.
The Met Office explained that the upcoming weather will be affected by “the warming of UK climate consistent with wider global trends” and the El Nino-Southern Oscillation “is neutral in reducing its influence on global weather patterns”.
In its monthly breakdown, the Government agency said the period of May to July will bring “weak and mixed” weather patterns, with the heat being down to “the background warming of the UK climate”.
It added that, despite the possibility of a hot summer, some areas will still experience heavy rain, thunderstorms, and flooding.
The report said: “During unsettled spells, some regions are likely to see heavy downpours and thunderstorms which bring a risk of instances of surface water flooding.”
A Met Office spokesperson said: “There is an increase in the likelihood of hotter than normal conditions. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the UK will see heatwaves and heat-related impacts, but the risk of these is higher than normal.
“Drivers relevant to the current outlook are the warming of the UK climate consistent with wider global warming trends.”
