Britons are bracing for a tumultuous weather forecast as the Met Office issues warnings of heavy rain, thunderstorms, and lightning strikes across parts of the country today, sparking concerns of a potential bank holiday weekend washout.
Despite temperatures rising, reaching highs of 20°C (68°F) in the South of England and expected to climb to 22°C (72°F) tomorrow, unsettled spring weather persists, with thunderstorms forecast for central and southern parts of England and Wales tonight.
The warmer conditions are accompanied by a risk of “active thunderstorms” that could bring lightning and hail across these regions, particularly during the early hours of tomorrow morning, according to the Met Office.
Thunderstorm warnings have been issued for South West England and Wales from 8pm tonight until 8am tomorrow, with up to 50mm (2in) of rain expected to fall in two to three hours. Similarly, a separate warning is in place for South East England from 11pm tonight until 6am tomorrow, with up to 25mm (1in) of rain anticipated in just one to two hours.
The Met Office has cautioned that these heavy downpours could lead to flooding, travel disruptions, power cuts, and potential damage to buildings from strong winds.
Detrimental weather conditions notwithstanding, the outlook for the bank holiday weekend remains changeable, with further spells of rain or showers expected, particularly in the south. Rain is forecasted to spread from the west, with temperatures varying across regions.
In a long-range forecast until May 14, the Met Office anticipates a mixture of showery periods or spells of rain, with generally drier conditions developing through the following week away from the northeast. Temperatures are expected to remain a little above normal for early May, with the sunniest conditions in the South and cloudiest in the North and East.
While the threat of flooding has diminished in recent days, the Environment Agency maintains 54 alerts across England for possible flooding, mainly in counties to the west and north of London.
With weather conditions showing no signs of immediate improvement, bookmaker Ladbrokes has placed odds of 4/1 on this month becoming the wettest May on record, reflecting the ongoing unpredictability of spring weather.
