Yahoo News Weekend thunder for Stoke-on-Trent as temperatures go back up
Meteorologists reckon the city could be hit with thundery storms at the weekend - with temperatures also going up. In its latest forecast the Met Office is predicting thunder late tomorrow afternoon (May 18) to a backdrop of highs of 20C.
It comes after heavy rain swept over North Staffordshire on Thursday with meteorologists issuing a yellow warning. Now warm conditions are returning with a chance of more downpours at the weekend.
Meanwhile in its long-range forecast for the UK the Met Office reckons that both rainfall and temperatures will be 'a little above average' at the end of May. That looks to be a similar story for the opening of June - where there had been some suggestion a heatwave courtesy of a 'Saharan plume' making its way to the country.
Weekend forecast for Stoke-on-Trent
Today will be dry with sunny spells and a high of 20C. Saturday will start off dry and warm and reach around 20C by 3pm.
But the Met Office says there could be some thundery conditions at 4pm and 7pm before light rain around 8pm. Sunday is looking the best day with sunshine and a high of 20C.
Looking into next week and Monday will be dry and sunny with a high of 18C. There may be some light rain on Tuesday, again, with a high of 18C. Forecasters reckon it will be dry on Wednesday and Thursday with highs of 17C.
Meanwhile the BBC doesn't agree with thunder tomorrow - but does reckon there'll be rain from 4pm and 8pm. The Beeb then reckons we'll see light rain virtually all day on Wednesday with afternoon showers on Thursday, some rain on Friday morning, before a dry and warm Saturday (May 25).
Met Office's long-range forecast for the UK
May 21 - May 30: "There is a lot of uncertainty in this period, even at the start when the UK will be in-between low pressure over the near continent trying to keep things unsettled and potentially thundery; high pressure to the west or southwest which would settle things down; and finally low pressure to the north or northwest which may being a more climatological split in conditions between the south and north.
"Overall though, one way or another, it looks like remaining fairly unsettled across much of the UK, with further rain, showers or even thunderstorms in places, though there will be some sunshine between times, the best of this possibly in southwestern parts. Both rainfall amounts and temperatures are likely to be a little above average, but some large spatial differences are likely."
May 31 - June 14: "There is nothing to suggest that conditions will be massively different to climatology at the end of the current month and though the first half of June. That said, both temperatures and rainfall are more-likely to be a little above average overall, with a fairly mixed bag seemingly most probable, with further rain or showers (possibly heavy/thundery at times) but also some spells of warm sunshine when it's not raining."
