Thunderstorm warnings issued as warm and humid conditions give way to heavy rain and thunderstorms
Yellow warnings for thunderstorms have been issued for parts of England and Wales on Wednesday and Thursday, as warm and humid conditions bring an increasing chance of heavy showers, thunderstorms and longer spells of rain.
Many areas will see further warm and dry weather on Tuesday, with temperatures widely reaching the mid to high 20s Celsius across England and Wales. However, isolated showers and thunderstorms across southwestern parts are expected to become more widespread and develop across England and Wales from Tuesday evening and overnight into Wednesday. This brings the potential for longer spells of rain and heavy, sometimes intense downpours, frequent lightning and localised disruption.
On Thursday, widespread slow-moving heavy and thundery rain is expected to spread north across the UK, bringing the potential for prolonged periods of rainfall in some areas. These areas could therefore see significant rainfall totals over several hours, increasing the likelihood of localised impacts from heavy rain and thunderstorms.
Met Office Chief Forecaster Steve Willington said: “As we move into Wednesday there is a growing risk of heavy rain and thunderstorms, with warm and humid air helping to trigger heavy showers and thunderstorms. Some places could see significant amounts of rain falling in a short period of time, bringing the potential for localised flooding, travel disruption and frequent lightning.
“On Thursday, slow-moving heavy and thundery rain may bring prolonged rainfall to some areas, increasing the risk of localised impacts. There remains some uncertainty around where the heaviest rain will fall, so it is important to keep up to date with the latest forecast and warnings"
Low pressure will bring heavy, thundery downpours this week, with thunderstorm warnings in force for Wednesday and Thursday ⚠️
— Met Office (@metoffice) August 25, 2026
The exact location of the heaviest rain and thunderstorms remains uncertain so keep up to date with the latest forecast and warnings 📲 pic.twitter.com/7TS22g977B
Friday and the weekend
Unsettled conditions may continue into Friday and the weekend, with further showers or longer spells of rain remain possible at times, alongside some drier and brighter periods.
Keep up to date with weather warnings, and you can find the latest forecast on our website, on YouTube, by following us on X and Facebook, as well as on our mobile app which is available for iPhone from the App store and for Android from the Google Play store.