When will it stop raining in Sunderland, why has it been so wet and will the summer washout continue? Here's everything you need to know

We all knew it anyway, but the Met Office have confirmed that July saw significantly higher than average rainfall and lower than average temperatures and hours of sunshine.

The UK had its sixth wettest July on record and saw 70% more rainfall than average. With rain laden skies it was therefore no surprise that hours of sunshine for the UK were also 19% down on average with 140.3 hours across the month.

Despite the wet weather, the 2023 UK July average temperature of 14.9 degrees Celsius was only 0.3% down on the month’s 30 year average.

Will August see a return to summer?

With the first two weeks of the school summer holidays proving to be a damp squib, parents are no doubt hoping that August will see the return of warm, sunny and dry conditions to get out and enjoy time together and keep the children active and entertained.

Unfortunately the Met Office’s long range forecast shows no sign of the current unsettled conditions abating any time soon.

Today (Wednesday August 2) the Met Office is forecasting heavy rain for Sunderland, whilst Thursday and Friday is set to see cloudy skies.

Unfortunately heavy rain is once again forecast for Saturday with temperature highs during this period ranging between 15 and 17 degrees Celsius.

The Met Office long range forecast up to August 15 continues to look disappointingly unsettled.

A statement on their website said: “There will be a mix of sunshine and showers initially, these most frequent and heaviest in the northwest, with the brightest conditions likely in the south. Changeable, often unsettled conditions, at least to start the following week, with showers and longer spells of rain likely, but some drier and brighter interludes, with these looking increasingly likely by the end of the week.”

There is some hope that summer may return, at least fleetingly, for the second half of the month.

The statement added: “During the second half of August, there is a greater chance of more settled spells developing, with warmer and drier conditions becoming slightly more likely than the unseasonably unsettled weather of July. 

“However, unsettled conditions are never too far away and so there will likely still be some spells of rain or showers for many areas from time to time. Temperatures look like they will recover to at least average, or a little above, however any prolonged dry or hot spells appear to be unlikely.”

So why is the weather so unsettled?

Following the hottest June on record and with news of the blistering heatwave in other parts of Europe, many people have been left perplexed as to why the UK has experienced such a disappointing July and early August.

The answer lies in the shifting position of the Jet Stream, a high altitude wind which has blocked off high pressure systems stationed to the south of the UK and is driving in low pressure systems and the associated wet and windy weather off the Atlantic.

The Met Office’s Mike Kendon explained: “It has been a significantly wet month for much of the UK; particularly for those in Northern Ireland.

“The Jet Stream has been shifted to the south of the UK for much of the month, simultaneously allowing extreme heat to build in southern Europe for a time, but also allowing a succession of low pressure systems to influence the UK, with long periods of winds and rain that many more typically associate with autumn weather.”

Until the Jet Stream returns to its usual position, unfortunately the wet weather looks set to continue.