Weekend weather warning as Met Office forecasts thunderstorms and heavy rain

Parts of England and Wales are bracing for a day of heavy rain, thunderstorms, and gusty winds on Saturday, with forecasters cautioning about potential disruptions.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms, valid from 9am to 6pm. The forecast indicates frequent heavy showers, some potentially thundery, accompanied by the possibility of hail and strong winds.

Rainfall could reach up to 40mm in a few hours, exceeding the total rainfall England experienced throughout May. Met Office data reveals that England recorded only 32.8mm of rain last month, nearly half of the typical monthly average.

Dan Suri, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “Frequent heavy showers and thunderstorms are expected for much of Saturday, before they fade from the west during the mid-to-late afternoon.

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“It’s possible that 10-15mm of rain could fall in less than an hour, while some places could see 30-40mm of rain over several hours from successive showers and thunderstorms.

“Frequent lightning, hail and strong, gusty winds are also possible.”

He added: “While brisk winds ensure that most places in the warning area will be hit by showers, not all places will see thunderstorms.

“In this case it’s difficult to predict where exactly thunderstorms will hit because they are small and fast changing.

“One analogy we use to picture the complexity of this forecasting challenge is comparing it to boiling a pan of water and having to guess exactly where and when the bubbles will appear.

“We know some will, but only in certain places, and that is why thunderstorms are so hard to predict.”

Conditions are expected to improve on Sunday, with a drier day forecast for many, though showers may linger in parts of the north and east.

Heading into next week, the Met Office advises to expect sunshine and showers on Monday. It is also possible that a new low-pressure-system which is “currently far out in the Atlantic” could bring warmer air from Wednesday onwards.

This means higher temperatures are likely, and could reach the high 20sC in the southeast on Thursday. However, it also boosts the possibility for more thunderstorms towards the end of the week.