British Isles weather, May 2018

On the 29th most N and W areas of the UK were again sunny and very warm. Despite high pressure (1024 over N Shetland at 2400 GMT) the Northern Isles were largely damp and foggy due partly to a nearby weak front. An onshore flow again made it cool near the E coast of SE Scotland and England. Low pressure over the near-continent pushed thunderstorms across S England later in the day with several hours of often heavy rain and thunderstorms in the southeast. Roads and properties around Medway have been left under water after the storms. The M2 between junction 4 and 5 was closed due to flooding from rainfall. Kent Fire and Rescue Service warned motorists to drive only "if necessary" after a lunchtime deluge left parts of the county impassable. London Fire Brigade also confirmed that it received more than 100 flood-related calls and some train services were cancelled as railway lines were submerged. Some flights from Gatwick Airport were also cancelled or delayed by "adverse weather". In Kent the worst problems were in Maidstone, Gravesham and Swale, in the NE of the county. Four people were rescued from their cars in Stratford, in E London. (Achnagart 27.5C, Loftus 12.2C maximum, Altnaharra 4.1C minimum, Frittenden 26.8 mm, Stornoway 15.9 h.)

A shallow area of low pressure centred close to the Channel Islands dominated the weather on the 30th. Overnight rain, some heavy, moved NW'wards across England and Wales - and there was some thunder over parts of the E Midlands at first. The rain became lighter and patchier, affecting chiefly SW England, Wales and N England during the day. Most of England and Wales remained cloudy and dull for most of the day. Much of Scotland and Northern Ireland had sunny and warm, locally hot, weather. (Achnagart 25.9C, Loftus 10.8C maximum, Kinbrace 3.9C minimum, Westonbirt 25.2 mm, Loch Glascarnoch 15.1 h.)

The 31st dawned rather misty in places with a few fog patches. N and NW Scotland had a mainly sunny day - while there were a few showers later in the day in parts of Scotland, notably in the N. Areas of rain affected SE England in the morning, with showers forming over S England later in the day; these then moved into NW England and Wales later. Some of the showers turned thundery. Away from the E coast where an onshore wind made it feel cool, the day was widely warm or very warm. (Altnaharra 25.6C, Weybourne 13.3C maximum, Aboyne 8.9C minimum, Brize Norton 37.8 mm, Lerwick 13.8 h.)