Large parts of the UK are set to be hit by rain today as heavy and potentially thundery showers sweep across the country. New Met Office weather maps for Thursday, August 20 show rain developing across a wide area, with some of the most intense downpours expected across northern and central parts of England and Wales.
The maps indicate 12 broad regions could see rain at some stage during the day, although the showers will be scattered and conditions could vary considerably even within the same region.
Morning Rain Across Northern England
The first map, for 9.30am, shows a large area of rain across northern England, stretching from the North West towards Yorkshire and parts of the North East. Showers are also visible across Wales, Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland, with more isolated rain reaching southern England.
Much of the rain is shown in dark and lighter blue, representing rates ranging from below 0.5mm to 2mm per hour. However, green areas across northern England suggest heavier bursts of between 2mm and 4mm per hour, with some yellow and orange patches indicating local downpours of 4mm to 16mm per hour.
Intensifying Showers by Midday
Conditions appear to become more intense by 11.30am, when a much larger mass of showers is shown covering northern England. Rain stretches across the North West, Yorkshire and the North East, including areas around Manchester, Kendal, York and Newcastle. Parts of Wales are also affected, while further showers appear elsewhere.
There are numerous green and yellow areas across northern England, indicating rainfall of around 2mm to 8mm per hour, while isolated orange patches suggest rates could reach 8mm to 16mm per hour in the heaviest bursts.
Afternoon and Evening Breakdown
By 4pm, the widespread area of morning rain has become more broken up, but showers remain scattered across a large part of the country. Rain is shown across Wales, the Midlands, Yorkshire and eastern England, with further isolated showers elsewhere.
Some of the more noticeable downpours appear around parts of the Midlands and eastern England, where green and yellow patches suggest rates of 2mm to 8mm per hour, with isolated orange areas potentially reaching 8mm to 16mm per hour.
The final map, for 10pm, shows the showers becoming considerably more isolated. However, some potentially heavy downpours remain. Rain is shown around parts of Wales and western and central England, including near Cardiff and around Hereford and Swindon. Some cells contain yellow and orange, indicating rates of between 4mm and 16mm per hour.
Met Office Forecast and Affected Regions
The Met Office said in its forecast for today: "Frequent showers are expected, some being heavy and thundery with a risk of hail. The most intense showers are likely across parts of England and Wales, especially northern and central areas. More isolated elsewhere and feeling cooler than of late."
For tonight, it added: "Showers will mostly fade overnight, though some may persist near windward coasts. Elsewhere, variable cloud and clear spells are expected. Temperatures will be cooler than recent nights across many areas."
The 12 UK regions set to see heavy rain today are: Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, North East England, North West England, Yorkshire and the Humber, West Midlands, East Midlands, East of England, South West England, South East England, and London.
