The Met Office has named 25 areas across the UK set to face thunderstorms and heavy rain on Thursday, with some places potentially seeing 20 to 30mm of rain in just a few hours.
After a scorching summer that left vast areas of Britain in drought, the UK is now set for wetter weather. The start of the week will be predominantly settled, the Met Office says, but Thursday brings heavy showers, thunderstorms and locally significant rainfall.
Week starts dry and warm
Monday will see widespread dry conditions, with lots of sunshine across the UK. Temperatures will be a little above average, with highs of 25C in southwestern England and 22C in north-western England.
Tuesday will also be largely settled, though with more cloud and the odd shower, predominantly in southern parts of the UK.
Rain maps show affected areas
Maps show that on Thursday, rain will hit areas in England, including London, Oxford, Newcastle, Birmingham and Colchester, amongst other spots. Scotland will also see some rain in Aberdeen and along the east coast.
Northern Ireland looks to remain mostly dry, while Wales will see rain over the north and south coast, including Abersoch, Holyhead, Newport and Swansea.
Forecast and warning
The Met Office's forecast for Thursday says: “Staying unsettled, with sunshine and bands of heavy rain and thundery showers on Thursday and Friday. Perhaps drier on Saturday, though confidence is low. Temperatures returning back to average.”
Met Office deputy chief forecaster Mark Sidaway said: “While many areas will see dry and increasingly warm conditions at the start of the week, attention is turning to the potential for heavy rain and thunderstorms from Wednesday onwards.
“As warmer and more humid air moves north across the UK, there is an increasing likelihood of some heavy rain developing.
“Some places could see 20 to 30mm of rain in just a few hours, while there is also the potential for higher totals where thunderstorms repeatedly affect the same locations.
“The detail of which areas will see the heaviest rainfall is still uncertain, so stay up to date with the forecast this week to keep updated on the increasing risk of impactful weather during the latter part of the week.”
Full list of 25 areas
The full list of areas to see heavy rain includes:
England: London, Oxford, Newcastle, Birmingham, Nottingham, Leicester, Coventry, Durham, Carlisle, Colchester, Peterborough.
Scotland: Aberdeen, Cairngorms National Park, Dundee, Inverness, Thurso, Wick.
Wales: Newport, Swansea, Cardigan, Pembroke, Bangor, Holyhead, Abersoch, Barmouth.
