Portsmouth to be bathed in sunshine

Portsmouth is set for a spell of glorious sunny weather.

Forecasters say it’ll be a week of high temperatures - but the bad news is that the sunshine could be replaced by rain as the bank holiday weekend begins.

Across the South East and East Anglia, temperatures could reach the low 30s on Wednesday and Thursday, said Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge.

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‘There is a front that will be straddling the UK and temperatures to the south east of that front will be much warmer,” he said.

‘The next few days in the south east and the home counties are going to be very warm - but it is a different picture a bit further north - that is where the front will have an impact.’

Temperatures in northern cities will only reach into the low 20s - with up to 21C expected in Edinburgh on Thursday and 20C in Belfast on Wednesday.

‘It is a boundary between two weather systems - we have got cooler air to the north and west, and warmer air to the south and east,” added Mr Madge.

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‘There is still potential for sunshine in a lot of other places - the map for Wednesday shows the cloud across the central belt of the UK, from south Wales to the Humber.

North of that there are very sunny areas, it is a bright picture, but temperature wise it is going to be the south east corner that is going to see the higher values over the next few days.’

The Environment Agency currently has 14 flood warnings, including five for the River Wyre in Lancashire, and 19 flood alerts in place across the north west for Monday.

Flood defence schemes are also being used in Garstang, Catterall and Wigan - protecting 500 properties - after heavy rain saw river levels rise in parts of Lancashire and Cumbria.

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Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said following the unsettled weekend, the frontal system is currently “quite weak” but will move northwards on Monday night, gathering strength.

He said it will bring “significant rain” to some parts of northern England, southern Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The levels of rainfall expected could “locally see 20-25mm in a few hours” in places such as Lancashire and the Peak District said Mr Burkill.

“Generally we are looking around the 10mm mark,” he added.

The Met Office forecast for the south east is: ‘Today: Starting with areas of mist, low cloud or patchy fog, these clearing by mid-morning. Then dry and sunny everywhere. Becoming generally very warm, but locally hot in London and further north. Coastal areas remain cooler due to an onshore breeze. Maximum Temperature 30 °C.

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‘Tonight: Dry with long clear periods, and perhaps some patchy mist forming in rural locations. Staying warm, especially in towns and cities. Minimum Temperature 16 °C.

‘Wednesday: Any mist soon clearing, then mainly dry with bright or sunny spells. Later scattered thunderstorms may spread northwards, but bringing little rain. Becoming hot across eastern areas. Maximum Temperature 31 °C.

‘Outlook for Thursday to Saturday: Thursday humid and locally very warm, with scattered and increasingly heavy thunderstorms. Friday dry and fresher conditions may arrive from the northwest. Saturday perhaps further rain or showers, turning warmer.’