Sponsored by
Summer's over... now here comes the rain
YORKSHIRE'S hot spell was being washed away in thunderous style today as a raft of summer storms swept across the county.
Temperatures were dropping by up to 8C (46.4F) as forecasters warned the weekend would serve up unsettled conditions.
Heavy rain Matt Dobson, forecaster for MeteoGroup UK, the weather arm of the Press Association, said the heatwave was officially over.
He added: "Temperatures have returned to normal and I cannot see high temperatures returning for 10 days at least.
"We have got cooler air coming in from the South West and thunderstorms from East Anglia to Scotland."
The hot weather - which saw temperatures reach a high of 31.8C (89.2F) on Tuesday in the warmest spell since 2006 - will be replaced by cooler air accompanied by showers in many parts over the weekend.
Yesterday, swathes of the UK remained in the grip of the blistering heat while other parts dealt with heavy rain and flash floods.
Temperatures yesterday afternoon soared to 30C (86F) at Heathrow airport, but other regions - including the North, the West and Ireland - were hit by heavy downpours.
During the hot spell, ambulance crews treated large numbers of patients for breathing problems, chest pains, loss of consciousness and fainting.
It also emerged that a 17-year-old boy died while swimming with friends in a reservoir near Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, on Wednesday afternoon.
And there was a grim reminder that animals are vulnerable to the heat, after two German shepherd police dogs died when they were left in a car outside Nottinghamshire's force headquarters in Arnold.
Trafalgar Square's fountains were shut down after soaring temperatures caused the growth of algae.
In contrast, the North East was hit by localised flash flooding.
In Kuwait, British troops were dealing with temperatures far higher than those in the UK. Temperatures peaked at 47C (116.6F) making it one of the hottest spots on the planet.
Email to a friend
Print this page- Three-inch blanket of snow heading our way today
- Alan Shearer in list of favourites for Leeds and England jobs: Latest odds
- Barnsley’s Keith Hill invokes Fawlty Towers over link with Leeds job
- McCormack feels United search can be narrowed down
- Redfearn throws down gauntlet as queue builds at Elland Road
- Rival chips in with £500,000 to restore the original Harry Ramsden’s
- Visit from Princess as Serbian culture celebrated
- Was this woman on your train to Manchester Airport?
- SportsTalk: Leeds United’s manager search, Super League and Calcutta Cup
- Libraries aren’t like supermarkets, they are magical places where dreams begin
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Yorkshire
Sunday 12 February 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 1 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 4 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: West
