The United Kingdom is bracing for what promises to be its chilliest summer in nearly a quarter of a century. To compound the misery, meteorologists are forecasting an impending ‘European Monsoon’. This summer has been particularly bleak. While there have been occasional sunny interludes, June and July have been predominantly characterised by relentless rainfall. Wimbledon experienced a noticeable dip in attendance due to the inclement weather, and a series of yellow weather warnings have underscored the predictions that this could indeed be the most sodden summer in a century.
Hopes for an improvement have been dashed by forecasters, who suggest that Britain might endure its coldest summer in 24 years.
Adding to the woes, the UK is on the verge of encountering a ‘European Monsoon’. The country is expected to be buffeted by robust Atlantic winds and torrential downpours, as the remnants of Hurricane Beryl make their way across the Atlantic from America.
A Met Office meteorologist stated that the weather will remain volatile, with the upcoming week likely to be dominated by showery conditions and a westerly breeze, possibly giving way to a brief settled spell mid-week before resuming a showery northwesterly flow.
“Winds are anticipated to be gusty, particularly near intense showers and thunderstorms,” the forecaster added.
Thus far, the UK's average temperature this summer stands at a mere 12.8°C, which is 1°C below the norm. Met Office data indicates that temperatures could plummet even further, potentially falling below the chilly summer experienced in 2012.
Forecaster Aidan McGivern remarked, “The UK’s summer has been exceptionally cold by contemporary standards. Since 2000, only the summer of 2012 was this cold between June 1 and July 8.”
It seems prudent to keep those anoraks and woolly jumpers within reach, as the incessant rain shows no signs of abating.