The Met Office has issued warnings for heavy rain, hail and thunder across 38 areas of the UK on Wednesday, as a band of low pressure sweeps in from the west. The unsettled weather is expected to persist for the rest of the week, with temperatures remaining below average.
According to weather maps, the most intense rainfall will hit parts of central England, where up to 16mm could fall. Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire may see around 8mm, while south Wales faces 4mm. By mid-afternoon, rain will blanket almost the entire UK, with Essex, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk bearing the worst of the downpours, with up to 8mm anticipated.
Northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland will experience scattered showers throughout the day. London is one of the few areas not predicted to see heavy rain, though isolated showers remain possible. The rain is expected to clear from Wales, Devon, Cornwall and the West Midlands by late afternoon.
Deputy Chief Meteorologist David Oliver said conditions will improve towards the weekend, with high pressure building, bringing drier and warmer weather. Some southern areas could reach 26 to 28C by Sunday.
