Grey clouds, wet weather, and thunderstorms are set to disrupt the bank holiday weekend, with yellow weather warnings issued from midday on Sunday.
Saturday will start dry and bright, with temperatures reaching up to 22°C in London and southeast England. However, the Met Office predicts that the late May bank holiday could end in a washout, with heavy and thundery downpours expected.
A week ago, forecasters predicted a mini heatwave for the weekend, with highs of 30°C in southeast England. However, cooler conditions have since set in.
Attendees of the Birmingham Pride festival on Sunday should prepare for patchy rain, with increasing chances of heavy showers, thunder, and gusty winds as the day progresses.
Persistent showers and cooler temperatures are expected to disrupt holiday plans across the UK.Rain is expected to spread across most of the UK starting Saturday night, with Cornwall and East Anglia seeing persistent showers. By Sunday morning, frequent downpours could lead to up to 40mm of rainfall in some areas, prompting warnings from the Met Office.
Meteorologist Annie Shuttleworth advised caution on the roads due to the potential for localised impacts, including spray from rain-soaked surfaces.
The yellow thunderstorm warning will remain in effect until Sunday evening, covering large parts of England and northern Wales.
Hail, lightning, flooding, power outages, and travel disruptions are all possible. Monday will be cooler and breezier, with scattered showers expected in northwest England and southwest Scotland.
Drier conditions may occur in parts of Wales, Northern Ireland, and southwest England in the afternoon, but eastern regions should brace for more heavy downpours.
Further wet weather is expected during the half-term holiday, when many families will be taking trips. The Met Office described the outlook as a “mixed picture,” with some sunshine possible, but frequent downpours likely across northern and central England, and northeast Wales.