UK weather forecast: New warnings for thunder, wind and heavy rain as summer ends early

Met Office warns of flooding, power cuts and travel disruption

Warnings for thunderstorms, heavy rain and strong winds have been issued across the UK as the country’s run of hot summer weather has come to an abrupt end.

The Met Office has announced four severe weather warnings which could bring flooding, short-term loss of power and travel disruption this week.

Scotland and Northern Ireland are facing thunderstorm warnings on Tuesday, along with another thunderstorm warning for much of Scotland on Wednesday.

Later in the week, almost all of England and Wales will be hit by heavy rain on Friday before the midlands, the south and Wales will see unseasonably strong winds on Saturday.

Mark Wilson, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said that for Tuesday and Wednesday “just about anywhere [in the UK] could have thunderstorms” – although the worst weather will be in Scotland.

Speaking about the thunderstorm warnings, Alex Deakin, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “The intensity of the showers means we could see 20mm in an hour, maybe 30mm to 40mm of rain in two or three hours.

“That could cause some flooding, it could certainly cause some disruption to transport and with the nature of thunderstorms and lightning strikes, it brings the potential for power issues as well.”

He added that the weather will feel quite blustery and not particularly warm throughout the week.

Over the weekend, the UK could see 50mph winds in coastal areas and wind speeds of 40mph on land.

Mr Wilson advised anyone who has outdoor weekend plans to be prepared for unseasonably windy weather on Saturday.

The rain warning on Friday could be especially worrying for the residents of Whaley Bridge, the Derbyshire town endangered by the potential collapse of a nearby dam.

Between one and two inches of rain through Friday to Saturday is possible, the Met Office said, however Mr Wilson noted that an accurate estimate was difficult at this stage due to the unpredictable nature of the showers.

Residents at Whaley Bridge are hoping to return their homes before Friday as emergency services have been making “good progress” in securing the safety of the area.

“Pumping continued throughout the night and the reservoir is currently at 25 per cent of its holding capacity with the water level down by 8.4 metres,” the Canal and River Trust said in a statement.

“The water has been pumped out at a controlled rate and good progress is being made.”

About 1,500 people were evacuated last week over fears that the Toddbrook Reservoir dam could collapse.