Weather experts have predicted that a yearly monsoon will play havoc with the festival season, with Glastonbury due to be hit.
Although the weather might seem entirely random, scientists have attempting to predict rain or sunshine for centuries now. Now thankfully past the days of filtering through the entrails of fresh fish, scientists have been building ever more intricate methods of prediction.
However this may not bode well for Glastonbury. The Somerset has been dogged by bad weather in the past, with a succession of poor summers blamed for slow ticket sales at last year’s event.
A scientist from the University Of Southampton has claimed that poor weather at this time of year is brought on by an annual monsoon. Dr Craig Wallace claims to has studied computer models of the weather for 30 years, and now states that two separate waves of monsoon style rain move across North Western Europe in the month of June.
One wave moves over the British isles at the beginning of the month. Sure enough, at the weekend we saw bright sunshine move into torrential rain, with flash floods across England.
However bright spells are predicted for the middle of the month, before a second wave rolls across the nation at the month’s end. With Glastonbury and Wimbledon set to take place in the final weekend of June, it is little wonder the two events are closely linked with poor weather.
While the time of the monsoon is easy to predict, what drives it is not yet known. Dr Wallace told The Times that the power of the sun could be the cause, or even the change in the atmosphere’s circulation across the northern circulation.
Glastonbury is long sold out. A new ticketing procedure saw fans snap up briefs in record time, well before the first name of a star studded bill was announced.
American songwriter Bruce Springsteen is set to play his first ever British festival set at this year’s Glastonbury. Organiser Emily Eavis was forced to compile a dossier on the event for The Boss, which was unlikely to mention the weather.
Also due to play the Glastonbury festival this year are Blur, Neil Young and many more. The event launches a new stage this year, with Maximo Park set to open the William Green stage on June 25th.
Glastonbury is set to take place between June 24th – 28th.
