Britain is facing a distinctly unsettled start to September, with a broad band of rain set to sweep across large parts of the country, according to a forecast. The latest weather maps from WXCharts show a sizeable area of rain covering most of England and the entirety of Wales. Particularly heavy-looking bands stretch through Ireland, northern England and parts of Scotland also. A striking 400-mile-wide rain wall is forecast to stretch across much of the UK on September 9.
Separately, the Met Office warns of repeated showers, longer spells of wet weather and powerful gusts. The unsettled spell is expected to begin on Sunday, September 6, and continue through to Tuesday, September 15, with northern and western areas facing the greatest risk of persistent rainfall.
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The Met Office says “many places” are likely to see showers or longer spells of rain during the period, although the south and east could escape some of the worst conditions with longer dry interludes.
Counties predicted to be affected by rain
- Cornwall
- Devon
- Somerset
- Dorset
- Wiltshire
- Gloucestershire
- Herefordshire
- Worcestershire
- Shropshire
- Staffordshire
- Cheshire
- Merseyside
- Greater Manchester
- Lancashire
- Cumbria
- Derbyshire
- Nottinghamshire
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire
- South Yorkshire
- West Yorkshire
- North Yorkshire
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- Greater London
- Essex
- Hertfordshire
- Bedfordshire
- Cambridgeshire
- Suffolk
- Norfolk
- Kent
- Surrey
- Sussex
- Hampshire
- Berkshire
- Buckinghamshire
- Oxfordshire
- Warwickshire
- Northamptonshire
However, the Met Office’s long-range forecast does not specify an exact rainfall total or say that half of the UK will definitely be soaked. The accompanying forecast instead indicates that rain will be most frequent across northern and western areas.
There is also a warning of potentially strong and gusty winds, particularly in the northwest, adding to the autumnal feel as the UK moves further into September.
Temperatures, meanwhile, are expected to remain broadly close to normal for the time of year. There could still be brief warm or very warm spells, particularly in southern parts of the country, meaning the wet spell will not necessarily signal a complete end to warmer weather.
The forecast comes as unsettled conditions are already moving across the country. The Met Office’s latest five-day outlook says further spells of rain are expected across the UK, with some brighter and drier interludes developing, particularly on Saturday.
For some areas, the weekend could therefore provide a brief window of better weather before the next unsettled period gets under way.
The northwest looks particularly vulnerable to wet and windy conditions, while southern and eastern areas have a better chance of escaping the rain for periods.
The longer-range picture becomes much less certain after September 15. The Met Office says confidence is “very low” from mid-month onwards, although initially a continuation of changeable conditions is considered most likely, with the wettest weather in the northwest and longer drier spells in the southeast.