Heavy rain and strong winds may cause flooding and travel disruption across parts of the UK, the Met Office has warned. A yellow weather warning is in place from midnight until 2pm on Wednesday for south-west England and much of South Wales.
The Met Office said heavy rain may cause travel disruption and flooding in places. Some interruption to power supplies and other services is possible, with bus and train services likely to be affected and journey times taking longer.
Rain will move eastwards across southern counties of England and Wales on Tuesday, bringing blustery conditions and heavy downpours. Heavy rain and strong winds will then move north-east from early Wednesday, followed by heavy showers and some thunderstorms.
Weather risks and impacts
Rebekah Hicks, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: "We're expecting a band of heavy rain and strong winds to move north-east through the first part of Wednesday, followed by heavy showers and the risk of thunderstorms. Some of these could bring hail and gusty winds, particularly in southern areas."
She added the warning coincides with the first school run after the summer holidays for some, meaning a wet and potentially disruptive start to the day for many. Conditions will gradually improve from the South West through Wednesday afternoon as showers become more isolated.
Rainfall totals will be 20-30mm across much of the warning area on Wednesday, but some places could see 40-60mm within six to nine hours. Coastal gales are also likely for a time, especially along English Channel coasts.
Extended weather outlook
Thursday's conditions will be unsettled, with widespread showers and occasional thunderstorms. Some sunny spells are expected, but rain may become more persistent in parts of western Scotland.
By Friday, southern areas will begin to see more settled conditions, with increasing sunshine and fewer showers. However, the North West will remain wet and windy, with a small chance of coastal gales.
Record summer context
The Met Office confirmed on Monday that this year's summer was the UK's warmest on record. The mean average temperature across June, July and August was a provisional 16.10C, beating the previous seasonal high of 15.76C set in 2018.
The record-breaking summer brought long spells of dry and hot weather, but took its toll on the environment and agriculture. This led to hosepipe bans, drought orders, poor harvests and low water levels in reservoirs.
Sources used: "Met Office" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
