Overcast skies, crashing waves and not a beach towel in sight – it’s certainly not shaping up to be a ‘great’ British summer.
And, if you’re wondering when the sun’s going to shine, be prepared to wait a little while longer.
For the unseasonably chilly weather this June – which has now been dubbed ‘Juneuary’ – is set to make way for torrential rain and even frost.
But don’t throw away your beach umbrellas just yet – for blue skies and warm temperatures could be on the horizon in July.
Bournemouth beach pictured on June 13 with overcast grey skies and temperatures only reaching 15C
Tourists bask in the glorious sunshine during last year’s heatwave on Bournemouth beach
Arctic winds have cooled the UK through the first half of the month, with temperatures 2C colder than average for the time of year. Yesterday saw highs of just 15C (59F) in Bournemouth – compared with 29C (84F) on the same day last year. It is so cold that forecasters say parts of the country might even get frost tonight or tomorrow. Although warmer winds are coming from the South West, the Met Office warns that heavy downpours are also expected.
Forecaster Aidan McGivern said: ‘A change in weather patterns is on the way. But I suspect it’s a change that won’t be widely popular. For more than a week, we’ve had northerly winds dominating things, and that brought below average temperatures and frequent showers. There are all the ingredients there for rapidly rising air currents, beefy shower clouds… and torrential downpours, even some thunderstorms on Friday and into the weekend.’
Yesterday there were eight flood warnings in place for parts of the South – even though rainfall levels are lower than average for the month so far. Forecaster Nicola Maxey said it has been drier than average for June but added that low pressure systems coming in from the West will bring showers.
Racegoers shelter from the rain at the Royal Windsor Racecourse in Berkshire on Monday
The Met Office says temperatures will be ‘close to or slightly below average’ leading up to June 26.
This means revellers at Glastonbury festival, which starts on June 26, should prepare for a wet and chilly few days. But thereafter things finally begin to look up. There will be a ‘mixture of weather types’ in late June and early July with sunny spells mixed in with showers, according to the Met Office.
But then we can look forward to ‘slightly above average’ temperatures by the second week of July.
This is in stark contrast to 2023, when all four nations of the UK saw the hottest June since records began in 1884.
Parts of the UK – including London, Cambridge and Belfast – saw temperatures soar above 30C (86F). In stark contrast, temperatures plummeted to 3.5C (38F) at the summit of the Cairngorms at midday yesterday.
But 2023 also saw a wet July and August, so a flip this year might mean a cold June is worth it for a scorching rest of the season.
