June brings more rainfall than all of spring to parts of UK

The UK has had a notably wet start to meteorological summer, with some areas already recording a month's worth of rainfall in the first half of June, according to the Met Office.

At Kew Gardens in London, 50.2mm of rain has fallen so far this month, equivalent to 101% of the site's average June rainfall.

Other locations have recorded even higher rainfall totals relative to their June average.

Westonbirt in Gloucestershire has received 69.4mm of rain so far this month, 126% of its typical June rainfall while Wych Cross in East Sussex has recorded 68.6mm, or 128% of average.

Hurn, near Bournemouth Airport, has seen 63.2mm, reaching 101% of its average June total.

The wet start to summer marks a sharp turnaround from the exceptionally dry spring experienced across much of southern and eastern England.

According to the Met Office, many areas recorded only around half their normal spring rainfall, with some locations receiving as little as a quarter of the seasonal average.

The UK's dramatic weather turnaround has been driven by a shift in the large-scale weather pattern.

During the latter half of May, persistent high pressure brought exceptionally warm conditions to much of western Europe, with numerous temperature records broken across the UK, France and Portugal.

In parts of the UK, the heat was particularly notable, with temperatures exceeding 30°C for six consecutive days - an unprecedented spell for some locations.

The dry conditions raised concerns over low soil moisture levels and the potential for drought development.

Since the start of June, a strengthening jet stream has pushed high pressure further south, allowing a series of Atlantic weather systems to move across the UK. This has brought a return to more unsettled conditions, with spells of rain, heavy showers and blustery winds. With much of the rainfall falling in short but intense bursts, totals have built up quickly.

In some parts of southern England, the first week of June alone has brought as much, or even more, rain than fell during much of the previous spring, highlighting the dramatic shift in weather patterns.

According to Met Office Scientist Dr Emily Carlisle this "highlights both the natural variability of the UK's weather and the longer-term warming" being observed.

The second week of June looks set to follow a similar pattern to the first, with cool Atlantic air continuing to dominate the UK's weather.

Tuesday and Wednesday will bring a mix of sunshine and showers, with the most frequent and heavy showers across Scotland, northern England and eastern parts of England. Some of these could be accompanied by thunder, hail and gusty winds. Temperatures will remain below average for the time of year.

On Thursday, another area of low pressure is expected to move through, bringing a spell of wetter and windier weather, with outbreaks of rain spreading across many areas.

By Friday, conditions should become brighter, with sunny spells and blustery showers, while temperatures edge a little higher.

Looking further ahead, confidence is increasing that high pressure will begin to build during the weekend, bringing a spell of drier, sunnier and warmer weather to many areas.

Keep up to date with the latest forecast here.

Much of the rain in late spring and summer in southern and eastern England falls in short but intense downpours, often as convective showers and thunderstorms rather than prolonged spells.

Showers form when air warmed near the surface rises rapidly. As it collides with cooler air above, towering clouds form along with intense downpours.

Several key ingredients come together to help, such as rising sea temperatures around the UK. This adds extra moisture to the air which becomes a fuel source for developing showers.

The more water vapour available, the heavier the potential downpours possible.

At the same time, land temperatures - especially across southern and eastern England - are typically relatively high after recent sunshine.

Warm air over land rises more readily than cooler air. This sets up stronger convective currents, where air is forced upward quickly, helping to build large shower clouds.

When winds are lighter it means showers do not move on quickly. Instead, they can linger over one spot, producing large amounts of rain in a short time.

This is why rainfall totals can vary dramatically over short distances, with one town seeing torrential rain while another nearby stays dry.