Warm weather this week will trigger thunderstorms

A plume of warm air moving in from the south will drive a change to the weather later this week.

Rain and showers across the northern half of the UK will ease through Monday night leaving a drier day on Tuesday, with spells of sunshine across much of the country by afternoon. The south and west will be the cloudiest locations.

While Wednesday itself will be a largely fine and dry day for much of the UK, with just the southwest of England, Northern Ireland and western Wales perhaps under cloud, heavy, thundery showers will move in through the evening and overnight from the southwest.

Some western areas could see 20-40mm of rain over just a few hours as these intense downpours move through to the northeast, with frequent lightning for some.

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Mike Silverstone, said, “After largely benign weather early in the week, some intense, thundery showers will move in on Wednesday evening.

“These thunderstorms are being triggered by some warm, humid air that is moving into the UK from the south. The intense rainfall could see 20-40mm accumulating over just a few hours, which could cause some disruption. While there are no severe weather warnings issued at the moment, it is possible thunderstorm warnings may be issued this week.”

Mike added, “As temperatures rise this week, it is possible heatwave thresholds could be reached in some parts of the UK, particularly the northwest Midlands, northwest England and northeast Wales, however it is very dependent on cloud cover later this week, so it is not a certainty.

“This warm spell will feel different to the fine weather we experienced in May as the humidity will be much higher, making it feel more uncomfortable. Additionally, while in May the nights were still fairly cool, overnight temperatures this week are forecast to remain fairly warm, which can disrupt people’s sleep.”