Many of those attending the 16,000 street party celebrations planned for the Platinum Jubilee weekend have been warned to expect showers, but not the kind of long rains that ravaged the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012.
The best weather is scheduled for the start of the holiday on Thursday, when most areas of the UK will enjoy periods of dry and good weather, according to the Met Office.
But rain is expected in parts of the south-west of England, Wales and Northern Ireland on Friday, and there is also a chance of rain in some central areas. The best weather for Friday is forecast for the southeast, where temperatures will reach a maximum of 22 ºC, meteorologists say.
Then they say the weekend weather is harder to predict. The Meteorological Office said that “a plume of warm air from the continent could affect the climate in the southern areas from Friday night, causing night showers that could last for a while early Saturday”.
His jubilee weekend forecast said: “The main source of uncertainty is how far north this warm air plume will extend, which carries a higher risk of some rain showers during the head. of the week “.
Although unresolved, the outlook looks set to be much brighter than in 2012, when rainy weather meant heavy rainfall in much of the UK, as hundreds of street parties took place indoors. . Then, time forced her to cancel a royal passage in London while the queen faced heavy rain without an umbrella on a ship on the Thames.
On Tuesday, Helen Caughey, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said most areas would have good spells for at least part of the weekend, but warned that “strange and heavy” rain could arrive on Sunday. in the south-east of England.
She said: “While it may be an unstable start to the long weekend for some with showers for Northern Ireland, Wales and the West of England, many parts will see much more settled conditions during the head long week of the jubilee, with long dry weather and good sun spells.The temperatures will be widely at 20 degrees, being warmer in the sunlight, although temperatures will drop rapidly in the evening.
“The latest forecasts suggest that this warm air plume could cause a period of rain in the southern areas on Friday night and early Saturday, with some showers for some time on Saturday. More showers are likely on Sunday. in the southern areas, perhaps another strong one, most likely at this stage for the south-eastern end.
“Northern Ireland, Scotland and the north of England look set to see drier conditions from Friday, probably enjoying some prolonged periods of sunshine.”