The British summer is getting off to a blustery start with severe wind warnings issued nationwide, thwarting hopes for a heatwave.
The Met Office warned on Monday that this week will begin with an unseasonably windy spell and even heavy rain despite bookies having slashed the odds on Britain enjoying the hottest June on record.
A Met Office spokesman said the low pressure coming across the UK will bring strong winds – gusts of 40-50mph “fairly widely”, with 60-70mph (97kph - 113kph) gales expected in areas including some English Channel coasts.
"There's also some heavy rain associated with that low pressure through later today and tomorrow. We could see 20-40mm of rain in northern and western areas," he said, adding that trees which are in leaf at this time of year are more susceptible to the winds, meaning that the chance of disruption is increased
"It's a pretty unsettled start to the summer," he said, but added that it will calm down "quite significantly" from midweek onwards.