India vs Pakistan: Divided by World Cup, United by AccuWeather App

Manchester has seen 2.50 inches of rain this June when they typically receive about 1 inch at this time.

(Photo: Kamran Akhter/ The Quint)

Will a high pressure India vs Pakistan clash be undone by low pressure over the United Kigndom ?

This World Cup season, true cricket lovers trust only cricinfo, cricbuzz, AccuWeather app for the most important match queries.

While fans have expected it to rain fours and sixes across England and Wales, the weather gods may have taken things a little too literally. Persistent rains have washed out four matches in a week, including India vs New Zealand.

With India taking on Pakistan at Manchester on Sunday, weather apps and meteorological departments have unwittingly emerged as the most reliable assets for millions of fans who have one eye on the scorecard and the other on the clouds above.

The Quint reached out to AccuWeather as well as the British Met Office to find out if they’ve noticed a spike in traffic on their sites, what has caused this unceremonious gloomy weather and how the skies are expected to behave over the coming weeks.

Meanwhile Team India all-rounder Kedar Jadhav put in a personal request to the ominous rain clouds hovering over Old Trafford.

Will the Skies Allow an India vs Pakistan Encounter

This is what AccuWeather told The Quint.

Spoiler alert: expect some rain.

Looking ahead to the fixture between India and Pakistan on Sunday in Manchester, there will be showers around the area throughout the day. While the rain is not expected to be heavy and last all day, it can make the pitch wet and slippery. The temperature will hover around 16 C (60 F).

Rene Duff, Meteorologist, AccuWeather

What's Up With Manchester - the Venue for India vs Pakistan ?

AccuWeather meteorlogist Rene Duff explained, “Manchester has received over 2.50 inches of rain (64 mm) so far this month when they normally pick up around 1 inch (25 mm).”

Weather forecast predicts intermittent showers throughout Sunday in Manchester(Photo Courtesy: AccuWeather

Why Have the Rains Been So Persistent ?

The UK Met Office has a visual explainer on the low pressure belt that has caused heartbreaks for cricket lovers around the world.

Frequent storm systems pushing into the area from the Atlantic have been the cause of all these rain events. Unfortunately, it’s ill-timed with the Cricket World Cup.

Rene Duff, AccuWeather meteorologist

Has the World Cup Led To Increased Traffic to AccuWeather & Met Office Sites ?

AccuWeather

We have seen an increase in the number of people on specific UK weather pages on AccuWeather.com during the Cricket World Cup, specifically around Nottingham during the cancellation of the India and New Zealand fixture on Thursday. We haven’t noticed any recent trends around Manchester, but that may change as Sunday approaches.

UK Met Office:

We haven’t been able to analyse our data but it’s true to say that there has been a lot of anecdotal interest in the weather around the World Cup matches.

Can We Expect the Weather to Behave Over the Next Week ?

While the following week provides some relief (and sunshine), fans would be well-advised to keep expectations realistic. “There will be rounds of showers that we'll continue to have to monitor for the cricket fixtures through next week, but not everyday will be a washout,” Duff told The Quint. Her forecast for the next few days are as follows:

Monday, there will be a stray shower or two in Taunton, but heavy rain is not anticipated.

Tuesday looks to be a nice day in Manchester for that day's fixture with clouds and sunshine and the temperature around 64 F (18 C).

Wednesday could be a pretty wet day in Birmingham for the New Zealand/South Africa fixture. This day looks the most concerning for a potential cancellation.

The pattern should trend drier for the fixtures later in the week, especially on Friday.

Sunshine and heavy showers are likely on Sunday. Most showers will be confined to the northwest on Monday, and by Tuesday much of the UK will be dry and bright.”

UK Met Office to The Quint

Has This Been an Unusually Wet June in the UK ?

June 2019 is shaping up to be a very wet June, but I wouldn’t describe it as unusual. The wettest June since 1910 in the UK was in 2012, for far this June will have a long way to go before it beats the rainfall record of that month. However, some places have already recorded more than twice the June average rainfall.

Graham Madge, Met Office, London