The Met Office has warned that heavy rain is likely to hit the UK as unsettled weather continues over the Bank Holiday weekend. Weather maps show storms approaching on Saturday and Sunday, August 29 and 30, affecting areas from Scotland to the south and east of England, with Northern Ireland and Wales also impacted.
Rain spread across the country
On Saturday, the heaviest rain is expected across Scotland, northern England, and parts of the south and east, including London and Sussex. On Sunday, storms will move towards western areas, with the north-west and south-west of England, including Cornwall and Wales, most affected.
Forecast and warnings
A Met Office forecast for Saturday to Monday reads: "An unsettled Bank Holiday weekend, with further spells of rain moving across the UK. Windy at times, especially on Saturday, with temperatures around average for late August."
Yellow warnings are in place for Thursday and Friday, August 27 and 28, as heavy rain and thunderstorms approach. The forecaster said "spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures," and added that "there is a slight chance that power cuts could occur, and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost."
Thunderstorms may be intense, with 20-30 mm of rain falling in less than an hour and perhaps 40-50 mm in 2-3 hours in a few spots, leading to surface water flooding. A 16-hour power cut warning is also in place for 70 areas, covering the UK from northern England to London.
Areas affected
The 36 areas facing heavy rain are:
- Scotland: Sutherland, Ross and Cromarty, Inverness-shire, Caithness
- England: Northumberland, Durham, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cheshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Warwickshire, Lincolnshire, Huntingdonshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Middlesex, Surrey, London, Sussex, Kent, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall
- Wales: Anglesey, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Carnafonshire, Montgomeryshire
