Thunderstorm Warning Issued for Southern England
The Met Office has issued a yellow thunderstorm warning valid from 6pm until midnight on Thursday, with heavy rains forecast to persist across the UK into Friday morning. Meteorologist Clare Nasir stated that the air is "primed for thunderstorms through this evening and overnight" following a period of unusually hot and humid weather. She noted that the wet weather is "likely to migrate towards central southern England" and the West Country in particular, warning of "torrential downpours, gusty winds as well as lightning."
Rainfall Timeline Through Friday Morning
At 10pm Thursday, rain will move in from both north and south, with a plume over Wales and showery rain affecting northern and western Scotland, possibly clipping Northern Ireland. Temperatures will fall "very, very slowly," leading to another uncomfortable night as thunderstorms and downpours extend across the country into the early hours of Friday.
Wales will experience the worst of the rain in the small hours, with heavy downpours hitting the south over Cardiff from 2am and moving northwards over the English border until about 6am. In Scotland, a band of rain will strike through the centre and over Fort William at 2.15am before sweeping northwards. By 6.30am, southern Scotland will have heavy showers over Edinburgh, spreading to Glasgow and Aberdeen.
Widespread Rain Across England and Northern Ireland
England will also see a wet night, with showers moving over the West Country overnight, reaching Liverpool on the west coast and settling over Northumberland around 6.30am. Belfast could wake up to extremely heavy rain at around 7am, with red rain maps indicating significant precipitation. By 9.30am, most of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland will be largely dry, though a large band of showers will persist over Scotland.
Friday's Forecast and Affected Areas
The Met Office forecast for Friday states: "Rather cloudy across northern regions with outbreaks of rain and thunderstorms, accompanied by hail and gusty winds." The peak heat will shift to eastern England, with temperatures dropping slightly further west. The full list of 18 areas expected to see rain includes: England: Worcestershire, Stoke on Trent, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield, Leeds, Gloucester, Cheltenham; Scotland: Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness, Dundee; Wales: Cardiff, Newport; Northern Ireland: Belfast.
