Gales, heavy rain to hit parts of UK – but get ready for a heatwave!

Gales and heavy rain to hit parts of UK – but get ready for an April heatwave! Strong winds and showers will batter the West today as forecasters predict record 82F temperatures from next month

• Forecasters predicting temperatures in mid-April to soar in a scorching heatwave after heavy rain in March
• This year is shaping up to be one of the hottest years on record since 1850 with global temperature above 1C
• Next few weeks however, the UK is to face bands of heavy rain, hail and thunder before seeing any sunshine

Gales and heavy rain is set to batter parts of the UK today – but forecasters say Britain is set to enjoy an early heatwave this year as temperatures are set to soar in April. 

The Met Office say the UK could be in for a record breaking month as the mercury rises to a reported 82F because of a complex weather pattern in the tropical Pacific called La Niña

It is said to be the the cause behind these great changes in weather for the UK, as the oceanic and atmospheric phenomenon has a ‘temporary cooling effect’ on the global average temperature.

La Niña occurs every few years as a result of variations in ocean temperatures in the equatorial band of the Pacific Ocean, because strong winds will ‘blow’ the warm water at the surface of the ocean away from South America, towards Indonesia, across the Pacific Ocean.

But, for the next few days, Britain will experience unsettled conditions, with strong winds in the west, outbreaks of rain, frost, and patchy fog to form.

There will be only a few sunny spells in the south with a few heavy showers developing, with some showers acorss the northwest, moving east across northern areas. 

Parts of the east and south east of England will also see heavy rain following across western areas, as well as gales, some hail, and thunder. 

After heavy rain and strong winds this month, Britain may get to see a very early heatwave this year with temperatures in April looking to soar.

The wintery months are very nearly behind us for good with some high pressure predicted at the end of March, leading to ‘dry and fine’ weather to welcome in April.

This shapes 2022 up as one of the hottest years on record, with forecasters predicting that temperatures in April to be some of the warmest Britain has seen since 1850.

Global warming is being pinned as one of the major contributing factors to the heat we are likely to see in April, with the expectation that temperatures will be far higher than the national average for the springtime month.

The average global temperature forecast is said to be between 0.97C and 1.21 C in 2022, with a central estimate of 1.09C. 

These temperatures are above the average for the pre-industrial period between years 1950 and 1900, the eighth year in a row which they have exceeded 1.0C past pre-industrial levels.

For the next few weeks however, the UK is to face bands of heavy rain, hail and thunder before seeing the sunshine at the end of March.

The wintery months are very nearly behind us for good with some high pressure predicted at the end of March, leading to ‘dry and fine’ weather to welcome in April. Pictured: People enjoy the weather on Bournemouth Beach in Dorset in July 2021. Temperatures last summer reached highs of 31C in the UK, including the all-time high record for Northern Ireland, 31.3C at Castlederg on July 21

The Met Office forecasts outbreaks of rain next week before a burst of sunshine on Thursday, clearing up any isolated mist and fog patches. From Thursday onwards, high pressure is ‘likely to be dominate’, the forecaster says

This shapes 2022 up as one of the hottest years on record, with forecasters predicting that temperatures in April to be some of the warmest Britain has seen since 1850. Global warming is being pinned as one of the major contributing factors to the heat we are likely to see in April, with the expectation that temperatures will be far higher than the national average for the springtime month (pictured, people relaxing in the sunshine in London’s Green Park during a mini-heatwave in June 2021)

The Met Office forecasts outbreaks of rain next week before a burst of sunshine on Thursday, clearing up any isolated mist and fog patches.

From Thursday onwards, high pressure is ‘likely to be dominate’, the forecaster says.

‘As a result, most areas should be dry, and with a notable breeze, frost and fog should be limited.

‘Temperatures mild to very mild for most. However, it may become chilly by day should the winds tap into colder air across eastern Europe.

‘The sunniest weather is expected to be in the south and east, but some low cloud is likely around North Sea coasts. There is a lower likelihood of wind and rain pushing into western areas at times.’

Weather forecaster Jim Dale, founder of the expert meteorological company, British Weather Services, said that the UK can expect temperatures of up to 28C (82F), with hot weather to come ‘fairly early’ this year. He forecasted that temperatures are to reach their highest in mid April, in contrast to the Met Office’s current prediction of mild or very mild weather, with some spells of colder conditions (people pictured enjoying the hot weather on Primrose Hill in London in July, 2021)

For the end of March there is a low chance of periods of wind and rain in the west, but for the first week into April, it is ‘probable’ that the high pressure will slowly recede eastwards.

This means that wet, possibly very wet weather can be on the cards for the UK to begin with in April.

‘Bands of rain are likely to be interspersed with brighter and showery conditions,’ writes the Met Office on their long range weather forecast. 

‘It is expected to remain mild or very mild, although short periods of colder conditions are possible. ‘

But for the rest of April, forecasters have predicted a scorching heatwave for Britain.  

This year is the second in succession that the Met Office’s global temperature forecast for the coming year is below previous years, since 2015, which was the hottest on record.  

Met Office scientist, Dr Nick Dunstone said: ‘Global temperature has been slightly suppressed during 2021 because of the cooling influence of La Niña in the tropical Pacific.

‘With another La Niña now underway, making this a so called ‘double-dip’ La Niña, it is not surprising that we are forecasting another relatively cool year for global temperatures when compared with the run of years since 2015.

‘However, it is still likely that 2022 will be above 1.0C and hence continue the series of warmest years for global temperature since 1850.’

For the next few weeks however, the UK is to face bands of heavy rain, hail and thunder before seeing the sunshine at the end of March (pictured, a woman caught in a sudden downpour of heavy rain as she crosses the Millennium Bridge in central London in March 2021)

For the end of March there is a low chance of periods of wind and rain in the west, but for the first week into April, it is ‘probable’ that the high pressure will slowly recede eastwards. This means that wet, possibly very wet weather can be on the cards for the UK to begin with in April (pictured, people sheltering from the rain under umbrellas during a downpour in Greenwich Park, south east London in October 2020)

Prof. Adam Scaife, Head of Long Range Prediction at the Met Office, added: ‘These forecasts for the coming year illustrate that the rise of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is now warming the globe at such a rate as to make the El Nino years at the end of the 1990s cooler than the La Niña years two decades later.’

Weather forecaster Jim Dale, founder of the expert meteorological company, British Weather Services, said that the UK can expect temperatures of up to 28C (82F), with hot weather to come ‘fairly early’ this year.

He forecasted that temperatures are to reach their highest in mid April, in contrast to the Met Office’s current prediction of mild or very mild weather, with some spells of colder conditions.

Jim Dale told the Express: ‘I think hot weather could come in fairly early as far as April is concerned perhaps.

‘I know March is the start of Spring but I think we’re probably going to get properly into April before we start to see the searing sort of temperatures… I wouldn’t be surprised to see 26C, 27C, 28C in the middle of April.’

He added that the temperature profiles in the southern hemisphere of the globe leads him to believe that there will be some ‘big highlights’ of more extreme weather, either cold or hot.  

The usual weather forecast for April in the UK can look like daily high temperatures of around 12C (53.6F) and lows of 4C.

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