01 May 2021

Heavy winds and rain set to create bank holiday washout

01 May 2021

The UK faces a bank holiday washout with heavy winds and rain set to hit the country on Monday, forecasters have warned.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for wind across much of the south coast of England and coastal Wales over Monday and Tuesday, with the strong gusts predicted to cause travel disruption.

Forecasters also warned that people socialising could see temporary structures blown away by gusts of up to 40-50mph if they are not secured properly.

Spring weather Apr 29th 2021 (PA Wire)

Met Office meteorologist Craig Snell said Saturday and Sunday will continue to be cold for the time of year, with sunshine and scattered showers.

He said temperatures will be around 13C to 14C in the south over the weekend, below normal temperatures for this time of year of closer to 16C.

Monday will see much more widespread rain of up to 40-50mm alongside strong winds, he added.

He said: “Monday will see a bright start in the east.

“Rain will be moving in from the west in the morning and spread to all parts over the course of the day. The rain will be accompanied by strong winds.

“It will be blustery for everyone but especially the south coast where we do have a yellow weather warning.

“Expect some localised transport disruption and tents and temporary structures could be liable to be blown away if they are not secured properly.

“It will be a wet and windy day for some of us and remain quite cold.

“In that weather warning area we could see gusts of 40-50mph, maybe even up to 60mph.”

Meanwhile the Metropolitan Police have warned people to stick to the rules when going out over the weekend and avoid attending planned protests in London.

The force said it will have a “significant policing operation” in place.

Commander Simon Dobinson said: “This will be the first major bank holiday since the easing of restrictions and I know London’s streets will be busy with people heading to the shops or to the outdoor areas of London’s bars and restaurants. We also know that groups will be coming into London to demonstrate.

“If you are involved in planning a protest event, please ensure you comply with the current legal restrictions on protest gatherings.

“We are still in a global pandemic and the Met urges people to continue to comply with the restrictions that apply to gatherings and to follow Government guidance.”

Spring weather Apr 30th 2021 (PA Wire)

It comes after April saw its lowest average minimum temperatures since 1922, the Met Office said.

However, as of Friday, the UK had seen 218.8 hours of sunshine in April, making it the second sunniest on record.

The Met Office said that going into next week and towards polling day on Thursday the weather will return to a mixture of sunshine and showers.

Mr Snell added: “Going into next week we get rid of this area of low pressure around early Tuesday and go back to where we are now, a cold flow from the north with a mix of sunshine and showers.

“In the south we might well see another band of rain coming in from the south west so it might be a bit more gloomy and wet in the south of the UK but it’s a little bit uncertain.”

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