Met Office maps show heavy rain sweeping across much of the UK on Sunday, with 35 areas forecast to see downpours of up to 4mm an hour or more. The wet weather is set to move in from the west and spread across large parts of the country throughout the day.
Rain arrives from the west
According to the forecaster: "A largely dry and cloudy start on Sunday, and turning increasingly windy. Heavy rain moves in from the west, but warm sunny spells develop in the east."
Rain is forecast to reach Northern Ireland, parts of Wales and the far north of Scotland, including Stornoway, by around 9.15am on Sunday. The band of wet weather then gradually moves eastwards, reaching northern England during the afternoon as well as parts of the south, including Plymouth.
Heaviest downpours in Scotland
Scotland is forecast to see some of the heaviest downpours, with Met Office maps turning blue and yellow across much of the country from around noon. Yellow areas indicate heavier rainfall of 4mm or more an hour.
The maps show much of the rain clearing by early evening at around 6pm, although showers are still forecast around Sheffield, Swindon and Birmingham.
Full list of areas affected
The 35 UK areas expected to see rain on Sunday are: Pembroke, Belfast, Londonderry, Kendal, Plymouth, Dumfries, Caernarfon, Lincoln, Manchester, York, Southampton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Newtown, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Fort William, Aberdeen, Tiree, Stornoway, Ullapool, Reading, Swindon, Cambridge, Nottingham, Stoke-on-Trent, Swansea, Barnstaple, Norwich, Jedburgh, Cumnock, Banbury, Milton Keynes, Sheffield, Leeds and Hull.
Outlook for October
Conditions are expected to improve on Monday as the rain clears, leaving a "fine day with sunny spells". Tuesday is forecast to turn "rather warm", although it will also become windy with another spell of rain moving in from the west. Fresher conditions and showers are then expected on Wednesday.
Looking further ahead, drier and more settled weather is expected to become increasingly likely across the UK between October 1 and 10, according to the Met Office. Higher pressure is forecast to build, although there remains uncertainty over whether the most settled conditions will be focused across northern or southern parts of the country.
Some shorter spells of rain or showers are still expected as areas of lower pressure occasionally move in, but the period overall is forecast to be drier than average. Winds are also expected to be lighter than average for much of the period, although shorter spells of stronger winds remain possible, particularly in the northwest. Temperatures are forecast to remain warmer than average.
