Summary

The Met Office has issued two yellow weather warnings for thunderstorms on Bank Holiday Monday, with up to 40mm of rain expected in some areas. london and the South East will be hit hardest, with potential travel delays and flooding. Sunshine and warmer temperatures are expected later in the week.

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Map shows where lightning could strike amid thunderstorm warnings | UK News

The Met Office has issued two yellow weather warnings for thunderstorms today with up to 40mm of rain expected on Bank Holiday Monday.

UK weather has a cruel sense of humour, with the long weekend set to end on a washout before getting sunny and warm – just in time for work tomorrow.

Forecasters say it’ll easily reach 20°C in some parts of the country this week and will be even warmer than Corfu, Greece in other regions.

But until then, the Met Office says a massive swathe of London, South East and South West England will be rocked by thunderstorms.

The first thunderstorm yellow alert for these areas is in place from 12pm to 9pm today.

A second yellow weather warning, in effect from 1pm to 9pm, covers parts of Scotland on top of North East England and the East Midlands.

Here is what you need to know.

Where will there be thunderstorms today?

The Met Office’s yellow weather warnings mean the thunderstorms are ‘likely’ to have some impact.

Weather officials warn that sudden flooding may occur during the times the two warnings are in effect. Flooding and lightning strikes could lead to travel delays, both on the road and on trains.

‘There is a small chance of fast flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life,’ the alerts add.

‘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.’

For the first alert covering the south, meteorologists say ‘thunderstorms and heavy downpours may break out in some places this afternoon and evening’.

‘Although not all places will catch these storms and downpours, where they do occur 20 to 30 mm rain may fall in some places in an hour or two,’ they add.

More rain is expected, however, in the north of England and parts of Scotland. The Met Office says the regions won’t see blanket thunderstorms by any means but ‘where they do occur 20 to 40mm rain may fall in some places in an hour or two’.

What will the bank holiday weather in London be like?

London and much of the south will be especially hard hit, with rain reaching the capital at about 7.30am, according to the Met Office.

The national weather service’s meteorologist Craig Snell told the Evening Standard: ‘It’s going to be a bit of wet picture for London tomorrow especially south London and then into Kent and Sussex.

‘If you are an early bird you might get some brightness first thing tomorrow morning but don’t be deceived the rain will be on its way.’

The rain should reach the capital at about 7.30am, kicking off hours of on-and-off rain (Picture: Met Office)

The mercury in London will just about reach 14°C this afternoon while still raining – not exactly picnics and drinks in the park weather, that’s for sure.

The Met Office says: ‘Sunny spells and heavy showers will develop across most of the UK today, some of these heavy and slow-moving with the odd rumble of thunder.

‘Cloudier in the southeast with heavy and persistent rain. Feeling warm in any sunshine.’

A cloudy start for Bank Holiday Monday across southeast England with rain, heavy at times ☔

Also grey in the north with patchy outbreaks of rain 🌧️

Low cloud, mist and fog clearing elsewhere with some sunny breaks and heavy showers developing 🌦️ pic.twitter.com/nCJzkheex9

— Met Office (@metoffice) May 5, 2024

Emphasis here on ‘any sunshine’ here. Weather officials add that the rain bucketing it down all day will ease by this evening and feel a little cooler.

Tomorrow, while the north will see a fair few clouds, sunny spells will ‘develop for most through the day’.

And we’ll finally see some warmth too. With highs of 19°C in the northeast and 17 and 18°C predicted for the south.

Northern Ireland and eastern Scotland will peak at 11°C.

However, there is a big silver lining – weather maps are turning orange and red later this week with sizzling highs of 25°C expected.

The Met Office says of Wednesday to Friday: ‘Largely fine and dry with variable amounts of cloud and some sunshine.

‘Rain will move into parts of Northern Ireland and northern Scotland on Wednesday. Rather warm in the sunshine.’

On Sunday, places not as warm as at least 15°C will be hard to come by.