UK braced for more disruption with flooding, hail and thunder possible

The UK is braced for disruption as heavy rain is set to bring flooding, with hail and thunder also possible.

More than 20 red flood warnings are in place across the West Midlands and north-west of England, meaning flooding is expected and residents should act now.

As much as 80mm of rain could fall overnight in some areas, the Met Office said, with north Wales and northern England covered by a yellow rain warning until 3am on Sunday.

Dozens of flood alerts are in place across England and Wales, and gusts of up to 75mph could exacerbate conditions.

A yellow wind warning is in place for the Midlands, Wales and the north of England from 3pm on Saturday until 4am on Sunday.

The Met Office said temperatures will be noticeably cooler than they have been after a balmy day on Friday, with a high of 27.8C recorded in St James’s Park in central London.

Hail and thunder are possible on Sunday morning, mainly in northern Scotland where windy conditions are set to persist.

Matthew Lehnert, the Met Office’s chief meteorologist, said: “Through this period, 20-30mm of rain is expected to fall widely across Wales and northern England, with some locations perhaps seeing 60-80mm.

“There is also a chance that a short spell of strong, gusty winds could develop as the area of low pressure moves east. Winds will initially strengthen across some western and south-western areas, before migrating north-eastwards, clearing into the North Sea during the early hours of Sunday morning.”

Once the stormy conditions have cleared, Sunday is set to be drier and colder than Saturday for many.

By Sunday afternoon and into Monday, high-pressure is expected to build, bringing a spell of more settled weather.

However, the Met Office said the far north of Scotland is likely to see more cloud and rain on Monday, and showers could be quite persistent for south-east Kent in particular until mid-week.

Temperatures are forecast to be below the average for the time of year, with the first frosts of the autumn possible in the coming week.