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Britain set for one of wettest Mays on record as pubs and restaurants are allowed to reopen indoors

A woman shelters from rain beneath an umbrella in London. (Photo by Dinendra Haria / SOPA Images/Sipa USA)
A woman shelters from rain beneath an umbrella in London. (Photo by Dinendra Haria / SOPA Images/Sipa USA)

Britain is on course for one of the wettest Mays on record, with the reopening of pubs and restaurants indoors likely to provide a welcome reprieve for drinkers and diners.

Forecasts predict more rain for the week ahead and throughout the rest of the month, with thunderstorms set to hit parts of the UK, and flood alerts in place in some areas.

The rain is joined by lower temperatures for where they should be for this time of year, with BBC weather presenter Matt Taylor telling MailOnline that is it currently warmed in Finland than in the UK.

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The reopening of pubs and restaurants indoors on Monday (May 17th) as part of the latest stage of the government's roadmap out of lockdown will be a welcome step for customers who have been braving bad weather to enjoy meals and drinks.

Until now, hospitality has only been allowed to open outdoors, with drinkers and diners having to ensure rain and cold temperatures if they want to eat out.

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But from Monday people will be able to seek shelter inside restaurants and pubs as more rain showers are forecast for the week ahead.

According to forecasters, it could be one of the wettest Mays on record, with 91% of the expected rainfall for the entire month having already fallen by Friday.

The comical photo showed the family huddled under umbrellas in a beer garden as they tried to enjoy the Bank Holiday. (SWNS)
Brits have been braving the rain to enjoy drinks and meals outdoors. (SWNS)

According to the Met Office, 63.5mm had already fallen by Friday — the wettest May on record was in 1967 when 131.7mm of rain fell across the UK.

Met Office forecaster Steven Keates said even if the record is not broken, it will be a "notably wet month".

He said: "If you were to extrapolate what we’ve had so far and say the second half of the month was similar to the first, then you would probably be challenging a record wet May.

"On the basis that a fair amount of rain is probably quite likely over the next couple of weeks, it’s probably going to be up there."

He said Monday would be a day of sunshine and showers, with "sunglasses one minute and umbrellas the next".

He said there are likely to be heavy showers with a risk of thunder “up and down the country”, advising punters: "So if you can go in, it might be the best option."

There is hope for drier weather as spring comes to an end, he added.

"There are hints, however, as we move towards the turn of the month into June of perhaps a bit of a dry trend.

"So some tentative glimmers of light at the end of the tunnel."

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