If you’re heading to Glastonbury, then now is the time to pack those extra waterproofs as weather forecasters are warning we could be in for a seriously wet weekend.
Nearly 200,000 ticket holders will descend on Worthy Farm, Somerset, and the Met Office is warning they could face heavy showers and even hail as an area of low pressure travels across the UK this weekend.
Forecasters say those arriving on Wednesday can expect dry, bright, sunny weather and “very high temperatures with high humidity”, but the latter part of the festival could be at risk of severe storms.
A Met Office spokesman said: “At the beginning of the festival it’s going to feel very oppressive and quite uncomfortable, particularly for sleeping at night with people camping.
“There will be high UV levels too, so with any length of time spent in the sunshine people need to take extra precaution, sunscreen, and seek shelter in the middle part of the day, particularly as temperatures get into the mid to high 20s.”
Adding that there’s still “a lot of uncertainty”, they continued: “It looks like we will continue to see low pressure towards the south and south-west of UK, bringing that unsettled weather.
“There’s a further risk of showers and thunderstorms, perhaps even severe thunderstorms, with the risk of hail and some strong winds at times as well.
“We could also be looking at localised surface water, flooding, accumulating in a short period of time where storms occur.”
Of course, the forecast could change in the next couple of days, but better to be safe than sorry, right?
This year’s event sold out in record time and will be headlined by Stormzy, The Killers and The Cure.
For the first time, single-use plastic bottles have been banned from sale at the festival and attendees are also being discouraged from using disposable wipes, even those labelled biodegradable, and to bring reusable water bottles they can re-fill for free at taps and WaterAid kiosks.
There are only a small number of showers available to preserve water, with festival organisers suggesting visitors take a wash cloth and bar of soap for strip-washes instead.
“Sustainability and the need to live in harmony with the land, has always been vital to Glastonbury Festival,” organiser Emily Eavis said.
“Our festival sits on farmland; it’s home to a rich natural habitat and it is our duty to look after that year round.
“We know from our work with our partners at Oxfam, Greenpeace and WaterAid that the impact of climate change is putting vast amounts of pressure on our natural world and on many communities world-wide.
“Now is our last chance to make important changes to the way we live.
“If we can help our Festival-goers to be more aware of their lifestyles and inspire them to live their lives more sustainably, we might turn these small ripples of action into huge waves of change.”