September 30th 2024.
Have you ever stopped to think about the last time you saw the sun? It's becoming increasingly difficult to recall a time when we didn't have to carry an umbrella with us every time we leave the house. It seems like just yesterday we were kicking ourselves for forgetting it, and now it's become a necessary accessory for our daily lives. The weekend was filled with warnings of heavy rain and strong winds in southwest England and Wales, and it looks like we can expect more of the same today and tomorrow. In fact, there's already a warning in place for the northeast Midlands and parts of east and northeast England, with a predicted rainfall of 80mm.
And if you thought that was bad, there were even more warnings earlier last week. It's no wonder that everyone is wondering if the rain will ever stop falling. But before we delve into that, let's just take a moment to acknowledge that we're talking about the UK here.
So why exactly is it raining so much? According to Jim N R Dale, a senior meteorologist at the British Weather Services, it's simply a result of low pressure systems. This doesn't mean that the clouds are being peer-pressured into dumping rain on us, but rather that the atmosphere above us is exerting pressure on the Earth's surface. When the air is warm, it rises and creates low pressure, while cool air sinks and creates high pressure. And as we all know, low pressure is often associated with miserable weather, as warm air can hold more moisture which leads to the formation of rain clouds.
There has been a large low-pressure system hovering over the southern North Sea for some time now, and unfortunately, the jetstream isn't helping matters. Jo Farrow, a forecaster with NetWeather, explains that the jetstream is a band of strong winds that move from west to east about 30,000 feet above ground. This month, the jetstream has been shifting around quite a bit, but this past week it has been situated just south of Britain, causing low pressure systems to move slowly and resulting in the heavy rainfall we've been experiencing.
But when will it all end? That's the million-dollar question, and unfortunately, the answer is not so straightforward. While an astronomer can predict the path of planets for centuries to come, predicting the weather is a whole other story. As the Earth rotates and orbits around the sun, our atmosphere becomes a chaotic mix of wind, rain, and temperature. So even though none of the forecasters Metro spoke with can say with complete certainty when we can expect the rain to stop, they do have a pretty good idea.
According to Farrow, a high-pressure system will start to build over the UK midweek, which should help clear away the rain from Monday. However, it may linger until Tuesday in eastern England. Ruby Warner, a senior meteorologist with WeatherQuest, agrees that the rain will become lighter and more scattered by Wednesday, and by Thursday, most of the UK should be enjoying dry weather. However, there is a catch – Hurricane Issac. While it has since weakened to a tropical storm, it is still churning across the North Atlantic Ocean and could potentially arrive in the UK on Sunday. But after a few days of settled weather, we could all use a little rain, right?
Unfortunately, the forecast for October isn't looking much better. According to Warner, we can expect more bouts of wet and windy weather, with occasional breaks in between. While there is some uncertainty towards the end of the month, it's likely that we'll have some longer dry spells as well.
But is all this rain something to be concerned about? Well, according to the Met Office, some parts of southern and central England have already received over 250% of their average September rainfall. That's a lot of rain, and Farrow explains that the problem lies in the fact that the ground has had little time to dry between rainfall. This can lead to flash flooding and has caused groundwater levels to rise, resulting in standing water in fields and towns.
As the frequency and severity of floods continue to increase, it's clear that Britain needs to adapt. With human-induced climate change causing longer and heavier downpours, our concrete cities and drainage systems are struggling to keep up. According to Dale, the UK is not prepared for the increasing amount of rainfall, and it's something we need to address sooner rather than later.
But could climate change be the reason why we've been experiencing so much rain lately? The short answer is yes. With last year being the warmest on record and this summer not far behind, it's no surprise that we're seeing record-breaking rainfall across Europe. The World Weather Attribution has found that these deluges are twice as likely to occur because of climate change. And as Dale points out, it's not just Britain facing these extreme weather events – catastrophic floods have been hitting countries all over the world.
So when will it all end? Unfortunately, we can't avoid the inevitable forever. But for now, we can take comfort in the fact that the rain should ease up mid-week, with a few dry spells in between. And as for October, we can expect a mix of wet and dry days, with the possibility of some longer dry spells towards the end of the month. But one thing is for sure – climate change is real, and we need to start preparing for the future.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
