UK set for '500 mile rain bomb' with May braced to be 'washout' month

James Rodger

1 May 2024 at 6:12 am·2-min read

Weather maps reveal the exact date the UK will be hit by a 500-mile rain bomb. The weather is set to change dramatically in the middle of May as mild temperatures are banished by a bleak outlook - with the fifth month of the year set to be a WASHOUT.

The weather front is due to hit the UK later this month and peak on May 15 with the south west and south of England "hit hardest". Cardiff, Bristol and London could experience anywhere between 45mm and 80mm of rainfall in the coming days.

Rain will remain intense along the Welsh coast with up to 75mm hitting parts of the south of the country. The north west of England faces 15mm to 27mm, with Manchester and Liverpool - alongside parts of North Wales - hit by the same amount. Swansea, Bridgend and Porthcawl face 75mm deluges of rainfall.

The Met Office has gives its medium-term range forecast for May 15 to May 27, saying: "In this period, the chances of unsettled weather are slightly less than usual in the far north but trending to slightly more unsettled further south. Therefore, some spells of wet weather are likely for all, but perhaps especially across southern/central areas while the driest conditions relative to normal are probably further north.

"The chance of below or above average temperatures is fairly balanced overall, slightly cooler around mid-month but recovering soon after, though it is worth noting that average temperatures themselves rise by around 1C per week at this time of year."

The forecast comes after maps and charts from WX Charts, which use Met Desk data. The BBC Weather team has given a verdict on what lies in store for the fifth month of the year, too. Looking from May 13 to May 26, the BBC says: "There is a chance that similar conditions will prevail in the third week of May, with high pressure remaining well to the west or north-west of the UK and continuing the subdued temperature patterns seen earlier. Temperatures could be around or below average.

"Later that week and into the fourth week of May, there are signs of a more westerly to south-westerly flow bringing wetter and windier conditions at times, but also opening a window of opportunity for temperatures to potentially rise above average. As the week progresses the low pressure is likely to remain closer to the UK or towards Iceland, so the changeable conditions are likely to continue. Confidence remains low at this stage."

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