Britain’s blistering two-day heatwave to come to a crashing end at 8pm tonight
Thunderstorms are set to bring a sudden halt to the short sunny spell in southern parts of England and Wales, prompting the Met Office to issue two yellow weather warnings.
Heavy rain is being forecast as the storms are expected to hit the southwest and Wales from 8 pm on Wednesday through to 8 am on Thursday with southeast England being affected from 11 pm to 6 am.
The Met Office is warning that the storms could lead to travel disruption and some flooding.
Its advisory states: ‘Thunderstorms are likely at times later this evening and overnight, leading to travel disruption and some flooding.
‘Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services.
‘There is a slight chance that power cuts could occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost. There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds.’
⚠️ Yellow weather warning issued ⚠️
Thunderstorms across southeast England and parts of East Anglia
Wednesday 2300 – Thursday 0600
Latest info 👉 https://t.co/QwDLMfRBfs
Stay #WeatherAware⚠️ pic.twitter.com/qZlDXXTzmi
— Met Office (@metoffice) May 1, 2024
Nicola Maxey, spokeswoman for the Met Office, said that while southern parts will experience heavy rain, northern parts should stay dry and warm.
She said: ‘We have a weather front moving north, coming up across the southwest, and then later in the evening we have some air pushing in from the near continent, so two discrete weather systems.
‘So some potentially heavier rain more widespread with the threat of thunderstorms and then the air from the near continent into the southeast and up across London and further north again bringing the risk of thunderstorms, perhaps more isolated thunderstorms.
‘Those bring the risk of lightning, hail, thunder, obviously, and isolated heavy downpours.” Elsewhere, there is certainly drier weather in the north and it is trending warmer.’
The Met Office forecast for Friday to Sunday predicts weather will ‘remain changeable with further spells of rain or showers, particularly in the south. In any drier and brighter interludes, it will feel warm away from the east coast.’
There will be an ‘uncertain period through the bank holiday weekend with the most likely result a warm but cloudy day Sunday with a few light showers, then increasingly cloudy with rain spreading from the west, though weakening as it does so’.
‘Into the new week all areas are likely to see a mixture of showery periods or spells of rain.’
At the moment, there is still some uncertainty about how the weather will pan out.
The gloomier latest forecasts come days after senior meteorologist at the Met Office Amy Bokota said: ‘Temperatures have been below average for the last couple of weeks, so certainly by the time we get to Wednesday, and probably into next weekend, temperatures will be warmer.
‘It might not be the sort of glorious sort of heatwave that we’re hoping for … but there probably will be some more pleasant and warmer weather for some people as we head towards the end of the week.’
So it’s possible people might get some use out of their barbecues and garden furniture… but more likely they’ll need an umbrella.