UK set for washout May as unsettled weather persists

LONDON: Wet weather is set to blight the UK for the rest of May as forecasters warn the damp spring will drag on.

Britons face thundery showers and below average temperatures as the unsettled weather continues, according to the Met Office.

The bleak forecast comes as a yellow weather warning for persistent heavy rain is in place in the south west of England. Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon said: “Essentially the set-up in weather that we’ve got at the moment is set to remain for the foreseeable future.” He said the UK has seen 53.6mm of rain up to May 11 — 77 per cent of the month’s average total.

He added: “It’s really hard to speak for the rest of the month. We’ve had some heavy rain in certain parts of the UK that may have contributed to that total significantly, so to assess how that’s going to play out across the rest of the month is quite tricky.”

The Met Office long-range forecast from May 17 to May 26 warns it will “most likely be remaining unsettled throughout the period”, adding: “The north will perhaps see the best of any more settled weather, with the south most likely to see the bulk of showers and thunderstorms and any longer spells of more persistent rain.

“It’s likely to be breezy at times, especially around coastal areas in the south and west of the country. Temperatures will be near to or slightly below average, with the best of any warmer spells in the south east, and with the formation of any overnight frosts becoming less likely.” Bookmaker Coral has cut the odds on this summer being the UK’s wettest since records began to just 2-1 from 5-1.

The bookie’s spokesman Harry Aitkenhead said: “This soaking wet May is not giving us much hope for a dry summer, so much so that we have now slashed the odds on this summer being the UK’s wettest ever.