The Met Office has confirmed that London is set for a significant change in weather, with up to seven days of rain and potential thunderstorms expected before the end of August. This comes after the capital experienced its hottest day of the year, with temperatures reaching 38.1C at Kew Gardens on Wednesday, August 13, making it the fifth hottest day on record for the UK.
Rain Arrives Next Week
According to BBC Weather, the wet weather will begin on Tuesday, August 18, with intermittent light rain and drizzle before midday. Showers are then expected to fall for approximately eight hours from 9am on Wednesday, followed by further rainfall on Thursday afternoon. Maximum temperatures during this three-day period are likely to hover around 22C to 25C, with lows of just 13C.
Friday is expected to stay dry before rain moves in again on Saturday evening and overnight. While Sunday will be particularly sunny, it will be succeeded by two days of on-and-off showers and drizzle lasting into Tuesday evening. The sun will break out again on Wednesday before stormy conditions close to 2pm on Thursday, August 27. The BBC Weather forecast shows thundery showers hitting the capital until 8pm, followed by light rain and potential wet weather into Friday.
Bank Holiday Weekend Outlook
It is currently unclear whether the rain will stick around for the bank holiday weekend and Notting Hill Carnival. However, weather expert Jim Dale of British Weather Services believes temperatures are likely to sit below 30C. He said: "It looks like the Bank Holiday weekend will be in the mid-20s, which is pretty much perfect. It's warm enough to enjoy being outside without the extreme heat we've seen at times this summer."
Day-by-day forecasts from the Met Office indicate that Friday, August 14, will be hot and sunny at around 34C with a small chance of a thundery shower later. Saturday will see 31C with variable cloud and isolated thundery showers at first, then sunny spells and generally dry. Sunday will be around 27C, largely dry, bright, and sunny with only a few patches of cloud. Monday will be 26C with dry conditions and variable cloud, while Tuesday will be cloudier and breezier with showers possible in the evening or night.
Record-Breaking Heat
Before the rain arrives, Londoners must endure another sweltering spell. Thermometers are to stay high today, Saturday, and Sunday, with a gradual return to average over the next few days, the Met Office said. Temperatures reached 38.1C at Kew Gardens, making it the 5th hottest day on record for the UK. Pershore in Worcestershire recorded highs of 38C, with a total of 40 locations across central and southern England recording temperatures of 36C or higher.
The latest extreme heat also means 2026 has seen the most number of days reaching or exceeding 36C (four days) and 37C (three days), with it also equalling 2022 for seeing two days of 38C. Met Office Chief Forecaster Neil Armstrong said: "This current spell of extreme heat is the latest in a remarkable summer. Numerous temperature records have been broken and we've seen an exceptionally dry season across much of England and Wales too."
With such a prolonged dry spell across England and Wales, many are looking for any signs of needed rain. Met Office meteorologists agree that it is coming soon, but it won't be the most hydrating for the UK's parched parks. Deputy Chief Forecaster Steven Keates said: "A front moving south eastwards across the UK on Monday and Tuesday could bring northern areas some rain but amounts of rain in the south will be small at most and the majority will fall over Northern Ireland and Scotland."
The next meaningful rain forecast for these very dry areas could be towards the end of next week as an area of low pressure influences our weather from the southwest. The detail on this will become clearer over the coming days, so stay up to date with the forecast.
