Summer storms heading to London but hot weather forecast for August bank holiday and Notting Hill Carnival

A spell of ‘heavy rain, flash floods, and thunderstorms’ has been forecast for August, but the Notting Hill Carnival is due to have some good weather

A weather expert has rosy predictions for the Summer Bank Holiday weekend at the end of August, famously marked by the Notting Hill Carnival. Jim Dale from the British Weather Service predicts it will be a comfortable 26C for the carnival weekend.

But Jim claims the rest of August might be much more unsettled, saying temperatures will mostly hang around 25C, though they could drop below 20C on some days. He also said we could see a “spell of heavy rain, flash floods, and thunderstorms” hitting London next month, in stark contrast to the blistering heatwaves of early summer.

The Met Office’s long-range forecast also predicts bad weather during the latter part of July. It reads: “Occasionally, this dry and warm weather could be interrupted by outbreaks of rain and stronger winds, which will be more probable in the north or west. As is typical for the time of year, there is a risk of heavy, thundery showers during any warm spells. The signal for predominantly settled weather becomes increasingly unclear towards the end of July.”

This is echoed in the BBC’s long-range forecast, which runs from July 20 to August 2. It suggests there will be ‘rain or showers and scattered thunderstorms across much of the country, and it should become less warm. Overall, though, temperatures are more likely to be above or at least near average rather than below.

Although it may feel weird to get horrid weather in July, it may be a welcome change from the sticky heatwave we’re engulfed in, which is set to peak at 33C tomorrow (Thursday, July 9), according to The Met Office.