Met Office weather warnings EXTENDED: FIVE inches of rain to fall as 50mph winds batter UK
THE MET OFFICE has extended its yellow weather warnings for rain today with up to two inches expected to fall across parts of Britain. Find the latest weather forecast, maps and charts here.
Met Office: UK set for ‘severe’ thunderstorms and rain
The Met Office has extended its weather warnings today to cover a raft of England, as well as parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland. Britain has been baked this week by a searing heatwave - but a low pressure system has now sept in, bringing heavy rain and thunderstorms in exchange for the blister temperatures.
The Met Office said: "Although thunderstorms are less likely today, heavy showers and more prolonged rain will continue at times, still with the possibility of thunder.
"These may bring 10 to 20mm per hour for some places during Saturday, with perhaps 30 to 40mm over a few hours.
"The ground is getting wetter now, so this may cause a few issues."
The yellow weather warning, which is in place from 9am today until 10pm this evening, has been extended to include parts of the North Midlands and Northern England - and now another batch of fresh warnings have now been issued.
READ MORE: UK weather forecast: Violent storms and heavy rain to pummel Britain
The new warnings, which affect Scotland and Northern Ireland, read: "Rain or showers are expected through much of Sunday and Monday, and will merge into periods of heavy and persistent rain over high ground.
"Forty to 50mm of rain is likely to fall quite widely, and a few places may see 90 to 120 mm during this period.
"The largest totals are most likely across higher parts of Cumbria and Lancashire. The heavier rain should ease away from Scotland and Northern Ireland on Monday morning and from remaining areas on Monday afternoon.
"Strong winds will be an additional hazard across Northern Ireland, northwest England and southwest Scotland, with gusts of 50 mph in exposed places."
The alert is in place from 6am on Sunday to 3pm on Monday, June 29.
The weather agency warned rain is likely to become heavy and persistent in places and may lead to some disruption - with interruption to power supplies likely in parts.
Bus and train services could be affected, with longer journey times possible as spray and flooding on roads will make travel times longer.
Flooding of a few homes and businesses is possible, the Met Office added.
You can find all the regions affected by the alerts at the bottom of this story.
Two flood alerts are currently in place at Loughborough Urban Watercourses and the River Trent Tributaries in Nottinghamshire.
Five alerts have been discontinued.
The Met Office forecast for this weekend reads: "A little sunshine, but showers will affect many areas, heaviest and most prolonged in the north, with the odd thunderstorm. Light winds here but windy further south. Cooler for all.
"Tonight: Rather cloudy for many with further showers, these most frequent in north and west, and merging into longer spells of rain for Northern Ireland and western Scotland."
On Sunday, the Met Ofice said: "Heavy and persistent rain in parts of northwestern Britain. Sunny spells and scattered, blustery showers in the south.
"Windy for many with coastal gales in north. Much cooler again."
The warnings come after the UK saw hottest day of the year so far on Wednesday, June 24, when temperatures climbed to 32.6C at Heathrow.
But with an area of low pressure now sweeping in, the UK is seeing much cooler temperatures with many waking up to a chilly 13C this morning - a drop of some 10C.
Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Jason Kelly said: “We’ll see an end to the current hot spell this weekend as low pressure arrives from the Atlantic, bringing temperatures more typical for June.
"It’ll be breezy for all this weekend with heavy showers and longer spells of rain for most, though Sunday could brighten up across the southern half of the UK.”
Regions and local authorities affected:
Central, Tayside & Fife
Angus
Clackmannanshire
Dundee
Falkirk
Fife
Perth and Kinross
Stirling
East Midlands
Derbyshire
Lincolnshire
Nottinghamshire
Grampian
Aberdeen
Aberdeenshire
Moray
Highlands & Eilean Siar
Na h-Eileanan Siar
Highland
North East England
Darlington
Durham
Gateshead
Hartlepool
Middlesbrough
Newcastle upon Tyne
North Tyneside
Northumberland
Redcar and Cleveland
South Tyneside
Stockton-on-Tees
Sunderland
North West England
Blackburn with Darwen
Blackpool
Cheshire East
Cheshire West and Chester
Cumbria
Greater Manchester
Halton
Lancashire
Merseyside
Warrington
Northern Ireland
County Antrim
County Armagh
County Down
County Fermanagh
County Londonderry
County Tyrone
Orkney & Shetland
Orkney Islands
Shetland Islands
SW Scotland, Lothian Borders
Dumfries and Galloway
East Lothian
Edinburgh
Midlothian Council
Scottish Borders
West Lothian
Strathclyde
Argyll and Bute
East Ayrshire
East Dunbartonshire
East Renfrewshire
Glasgow
Inverclyde
North Ayrshire
North Lanarkshire
Renfrewshire
South Ayrshire
South Lanarkshire
West Dunbartonshire
West Midlands
Staffordshire
Yorkshire & Humber
East Riding of Yorkshire
Kingston upon Hull
North East Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire
North Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
York