Weather guru's washout alert

A former Shropshire-based weather expert is predicting more freak flooding, torrential downpours and hailstorms next week as this month turns from flaming June to mid-summer mayhem.The wet weather is due to persist throughout this week but astrophysicist Piers Corbyn, of Weather Action long range weather forecasters, said another wave of rainstorms will batter Britain from the weekend and leave tennis's showpiece event, Wimbledon, a washout.

Former Newport-based meteorologist Mr Corbyn predicted the storms would peak between June 24 and 26.

"Another wave of rainstorms will hit Britain - especially the south - from around June 20, but especially June 24 to 26 when dramatic thunderstorms will surpass expectations of TV forecasters and probably whack Wimbledon," he said.

He said that when the storms do hit from Sunday to Tuesday next week, they are likely to feature rain, hail and thunderstorms, which will be locally very heavy and threaten transport and services through flash floods, lightning strikes and hail damage.

It could see a repeat of last weekend's havoc on the roads, residents being flooded out of their homes, motorists stranded on the roads and difficulties in getting to work. Intensities will be significantly greater than that suggested by TV forecasts even 12 hours ahead, the weather expert said.

But Mr Corbyn dismissed the idea the freak mid-summer weather conditions are a result of global warming.

"Of course we can all expect the usual drivel from the global warming lobby who will doubtless suggest these floods are caused by mankind's CO2," he said.

"They have no evidence for such alarmist nonsense. The fact is that extreme weather events and rapid changes in weather types tend to come in waves roughly every 20 to 24 years due to magnetic changes on the sun.

"There will be more serious extreme events in the coming 12 months."

He added that many businesses and operations were caught out by last week's flooding due to a lack of warning because they relied on the traditional meteorology approach which Mr Corbyn said used science that has reached its limits of accuracy.

By Ben Bentley