Final chance to see Northern Lights in UK dim as storms loom
The last chance to see the Northern Lights over the UK appears to be doomed as the past week of sunshine is set to disappear, making way for thunderstorms and rain.
Temperatures of 26.3C have been recorded in Charlwood, Surrey, and Northolt, west London, according to the Met Office.
It beats the year’s previous record temperature of 25.9C which was recorded in Herstmonceux, East Sussex, on Saturday.
On Sunday, temperatures could even reach highs of 28C in parts of southeast England between 3pm and 4pm, the weather service said.
But Marco Petagna, a Met Office spokesman, warned that the sunny weather is not expected to last.
In western areas of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, a Met Office yellow alert for thunderstorms with heavy showers is set to come into place from noon.
The weather service has warned of heavy and persistent rain in these areas, leading to difficult driving conditions with spray on the road.
“Heavy showers and thunderstorms could lead to some disruption in places, especially to travel,” the Met Office said.
“Isolated property flooding is possible.”
It added: “There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds.”
Mr Petegna said the gloomy conditions could affect people’s chances of seeing the Northern Lights on Sunday night.
The rare phenomenon saw swathes of the sky turn pink and green as far south as Suffolk on Friday night, and was also visible on Saturday night.
The lights, also known as the aurora borealis, are visible in the UK following an “extreme” geomagnetic storm.
Forecasters at the Met Office Space Weather centre are predicting the arrival of another strong storm on Sunday night.
But Mr Petegna warned that cloud cover and rain could obscure people’s view of the lights, especially in northern England.
