Manchester set for heatwave next month after a wet and disappointing May

Manchester, arguably one of the coldest and wettest cities in the country, is finally set for a glorious two week-long heatwave. 

No, this is not a drill. 

It’s no secret that May has been a total and utter wash out – we’ve experienced more rain, hail and gale-force winds than we have sun this month which, for the brink of Summer, isn’t at all ideal.

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Just to put things into perspective – this month could very well be one of the wettest Mays on record, surpassing 1967 when 131.7mm of rain fell across the UK.

Met Office meteorologist Annie Shuttleworth told The Mirror that, as of May 21st, the UK as a whole has seen 131% of the month’s usual rainfall already.

She said: “We have seen a lot of rain in Devon and Wales over the past week. They have seen well above those average in those sorts of regions.

“But there is a good deal of uncertainty in the forecast, so we’re hoping by the end of May we will have much drier and more settled weather across the UK.”

Well, it seems her prediction is set to come true. 

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Over the weekend, the Met Office confirmed that the UK will soon be experiencing a two week-long heatwave, with temperature highs of 20 degrees Celsius. 

Temperatures will start to rise in the coming days as May comes to an end and eventually reach their peak next month, forecasters say.

It is also believed that the balmy weather will remain for sixteen whole days, a spell which will include Bank Holiday Monday.

Practically a drought for Manchester, then.

Alex Deakin, another Met Office meteorologist, said: “Through Tuesday or Wednesday [this] week high pressure will move in and then stick around towards the end of the month.

“From next week we should see more reliable spells of sunshine.”

The dark days are nearly over, folks.