Reading & Leeds Festival: Heavy Rain Forecast as Fans Brace for Cool Weather

Festival-goers at this year's Reading and Leeds Festivals are set to face heavy downpours, according to the Met Office, who have issued a yellow weather warning for the weekend. Those heading to Bramham Park in Leeds and Richfield Avenue in Reading should pack their waterproofs, as they enjoy performances from headliners including Liam Gallagher, Blink-182, and Lana Del Rey.

A Met Office spokesperson told The Mirror: "From Thursday, it is likely to be a breezy day for both Reading and Leeds. Winds will start to ease for Leeds by the afternoon with brighter sunnier spells, and will be the same for Reading but a bit later into the evening."

However, a deep low-pressure system is expected to sweep across the UK overnight into Friday, bringing heavy rain and increasing strong winds. The spokesperson warned: "This will likely cause some local impacts across both festivals. Winds will ease in Reading as sunnier spells return by midday, but will be later across Leeds, and it will remain breezy with showers into the evening."

While Friday promises brighter spells, the weekend forecast paints a less optimistic picture for festival-goers hoping for a sunny end to summer. Heavy showers are predicted, with the spokesperson explaining: "Saturday morning will see yet more heavy rain moving up across the south of the UK. This will impact Reading a lot more than Leeds, but Leeds may still get the odd heavy shower."

Despite the gloomy outlook, the Met Office assures that the wet weather will not last. "Once this system has passed through the morning, both festivals will see more in the way of sunshine and showers across the rest of Saturday and Sunday," they said.

Temperatures are predicted to be just below average at around 19-21 Celsius. Reading is forecast to enjoy the best of the sunny spells, but both festivals will likely feel rather fresh throughout the weekend.

Over 240,000 music fans are set to descend upon Reading and Leeds, making them the largest single-genre music festivals in the UK this year. Melvin Benn, Managing Director of Festival Republic, said: "It's thrilling to announce such an incredible range of groundbreaking artists who are shaping the music scene in real-time. Reading and Leeds doesn't stand still; our audience demands the best and our lineup strives to reflect what people are currently listening to. As the UK's biggest and best music festival, Reading and Leeds is a unique and prestigious platform which attracts the world's biggest artists. We're proud to always be at the cutting edge."

With the festival's impressive lineup and a diverse range of musical acts, attendees are sure to be entertained despite the unpredictable weather. Whether they're braving the downpours or basking in brief sunny spells, festival-goers are set for a memorable weekend of music and festivities.