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UK weather: Monday could be 'coldest August Bank Holiday on record'
27 August 2020, 23:00
Forecasters predict this Bank Holiday Monday could be the coldest on record for some parts of the UK as temperatures are expected to be well below average for the time of year.
Torrential rain and flooding brought traffic mayhem as more heavy showers and thunderstorms are expected across parts of the UK on Friday.
Heavy showers on Thursday brought major problems on the roads, with flash floods reported in parts of Surrey creating difficult driving conditions and road closures, while Belmont railway station was forced to shut.
Road closures were also reported in Kingston, south-west London, where a Twitter user posted pictures of flooding in different parts of the town, including the underpass at Richmond Road near the railway station which was immersed in water.
Another video shared on Twitter shows motorists struggling to get through flooded areas of London Road in Glasgow, with cars half-submerged in water.
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The Met Office has issued weather warnings as downpours are likely to persist overnight, which could bring localised flooding and travel disruption.
A yellow warning for heavy rain has been placed over north-east England which is expected to last until 10am on Friday, while thunderstorms are forecast in parts of southern England and South Wales
between 11am and 8pm.
Meteorologist Emma Salter said: "There will be quite heavy, isolated downpours and there is potential for flash flooding.
"But not everywhere will see torrential rain, just a few localised communities will see torrential downpours."
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Commenting on the weekend ahead, Ms Salter said: "We'll see an improving picture throughout the weekend but it will be quite chilly, as far as August is concerned, particularly in the north.
"Sunday will be dry with a good spell of sunshine."
This Bank Holiday, Ms Salter said top temperatures could reach 19C in London while parts of Scotland will be chillier with highs of 11C, well below the average of 16C usually seen in the country.
She pointed to last year's late August Bank Holiday Monday which was the hottest on record, with 33.2C recorded at Heathrow.
"We could see some places getting the coldest maximum temperatures on record this Bank Holiday Monday," Ms Salter said.
"The lowest maximum temperature recorded was 10.1C in the Shetland Islands - if anywhere gets lower than that it's in the running to be the coldest on record."