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The pictures which show how the UK heatwave turned into a weekend washout

A woman walks her dog past Hylands House in Chelmsford, Essex, on Sunday (Picture: PA)
A woman walks her dog past Hylands House in Chelmsford, Essex, on Sunday (Picture: PA)

What a difference a few days makes.

These photos show just how much Britain’s weather changed last week.

From a blistering heatwave to a weekend of wind and rain, the contrast in conditions was noticeable across the country.

The Millennium Bridge in London, a scene of sunshine selfies on Friday, became a brolly fest on Sunday, as the rain pelted down on the capital.

At Bournemouth beach in Dorset, the change was dramatic. Last Wednesday, the beach was filled with sun-worshippers, but by Sunday they had all disappeared, as the sky turned grey and the heavens opened.

The scene on London’s Millennium Bridge was rather different on Sunday, top, than on Friday, below (Picture: PA)
The scene on London’s Millennium Bridge was rather different on Sunday, top, than on Friday, below (Picture: PA)

Heavy rainfall and gusts of up to 60mph battered parts of Britain during a washout weekend following weeks of hot, dry weather.

While surfers braved rough seas to ride the waves off the Dorset coast, festival goers at nearby Camp Bestival were hit by some of the worst of the wind and rain.

Organisers said they were “utterly devastated and heartbroken” to pull the plug on the last day of the event on Sunday on the advice of safety teams over the severe weather conditions.

Revellers at the family festival, held at Lulworth Castle, were battered by gusts of up to 45mph, while around 20mm of rain fell over 12 hours.

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“When you have got quite heavy rain that follows a dry spell the water struggles to soak into the ground,” said Met Office meteorologist Rachael West.

“It has been very wet and windy – not ideal conditions for camping by any means.”

Organisers of the Saltburn Food Festival in North Yorkshire were also forced to drastically scale back the event due to the bad weather.

The difference between the beach scene at Bournemouth on Sunday, top, and last Wednesday, below (Picture: PA)
The difference between the beach scene at Bournemouth on Sunday, top, and last Wednesday, below (Picture: PA)

Lorna Jackson said: “It’s simply unsafe to go ahead. We are gutted for the tens of thousands of people who’d planned to come, and over 100 local food producers.”

Wales saw the wettest of Sunday’s weather with 48.4mm of rain falling in Capel Curig in the north of the country.

The strongest winds were on the Isle of White, which was hit by gusts of around 60mph, while inland areas across the UK saw speeds of about 40mph.

A warning for wind and rain, in place for Wales and the south of England, was lifted on Sunday as the heavy rain and stronger winds pushed further north.

“We did just have some pretty exceptional temperatures in the days just gone so today has got a fairly cool feel with the wind and rain,” said Ms West.

“Temperatures are going to gradually creep up over the next few days into the working week, particularly across England and Wales.

“By the time we get through to the end of the week we could see temperatures in the high 20s or even up to 30C, most likely across the southern parts of England.”

The change in weather in Bournemouth between last Wednesday, below, and Sunday, top (Picture: PA)
The change in weather in Bournemouth between last Wednesday, below, and Sunday, top (Picture: PA)

The return of the warm weather will prompt further safety warnings to those thinking of cooling off in the water after a number of unconnected incidents in recent days.

A six-year-old girl died after going into the water at Margate Harbour, in Kent, despite rescue efforts.

The body of 15-year-old Ben Quartermaine was recovered near Clacton Pier, in Essex, after a search was launched on Thursday.

In Bedfordshire the body of a man aged in his late 20s was recovered from the Great Ouse river after reports someone had got into difficulty there on Friday afternoon.

A man’s body was recovered from the Jubilee River in Slough on Thursday, Thames Valley Police said, and on Friday a body was found by police in Warwickshire searching for a 17-year-old boy who disappeared after getting into difficulty in a quarry lake.