Britain’s chances of recording the driest April on record have been brought to an end as a month’s worth of rain is set to fall over the next 24 hours.
Heavy and persistent downpours hit the south coast overnight and are expected to blight southern England and Wales throughout Tuesday.
And the wet weather is expected to last all week, with a strong chance of scattered showers across the rest of the UK starting tomorrow.
After being blessed with clear skies and sunshine for weeks on end, the UK had been on course for the driest April since records began.
But forecasters have now said up to 25mm of rainfall is expected on Tuesday alone.
Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said: “1938 is the the driest April on record. That year there was an average of about 14.1mm.
“As of yesterday, the UK had 13.1mm this month.
“We were on course for a record-breaking dry month but that will not be the case any more. With the rain on the way over the coming days… the rest of the month will counteract that.”
It comes after the country experienced more unseasonably warm weather over the past week, with average temperatures making it the hottest April since 2014.
The sunshine prompted concerns people would defy restrictions on movement that are in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
But forecasters predict a "cooler, more settled week” ahead, with temperatures reaching highs of 14 or 15C.
That’s about average for this time of year and a huge plunge from the scorching 24C heat seen last week.
