Weather misery for UK Bank Holiday by Nina Ridge
Many people in the UK packed away the patio sets and parasols and had their brollies to hand as wind and rain battered the country over the Bank Holiday weekend.
Shops and museums were packed as many outdoor events were cancelled including one of the country’s biggest carnivals in Luton, which was expected to attract around 100,000 people. England’s cricketers suffered regular delays in Leeds during the second test against the West Indies.
Rain and strong winds ravaged southern England, and scores of power lines were brought down, cutting power supplies to thousands. One of the worst hit areas was Essex, where around 500 homes were still without power on Tuesday morning.
St Catherine’s Point on the Isle of Wight was one of the wettest places in the UK, receiving an incredible 80mm, (just over 3 inches) of rain during the weekend.
Temperatures struggled across many parts and were unseasonably cold. Highs ranged between 7 and 10 Celsius (45 – 50F). Normally temperatures would be nearer 17 or 18 Celsius (63 – 64F) at this time of year.
A maximum temperature of 7.9C was recorded at Heathrow Airport making it the second coldest May day on record.
The cold weather extended into Scotland where sleet and snow fell across the mountains bringing a good few centimetres to parts of the Cairngorms.
The unsettled weather is set to continue for the rest of the week, but isn’t expected to be as cold.
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