Met Office weather maps show the path of the storm hitting Wales tonight. Wales is bracing itself for heavy showers and thunderstorms later today as temperatures are set to plummet below freezing later this week. The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms across parts of Wales from 4 pm today until midnight.
The forecasting agency says that low pressure is firmly in charge, with sunny spells and showers throughout. There will be some heavy showers and thunderstorms at times for central, and particularly southern areas of the UK until midweek. Flooding in some homes and businesses within the warning area is likely, as 20 to 30mm of rain is expected to fall within two hours. Any heavy rain will likely lead to disruption on the roads and railway lines in these areas, and commuters are warned to expect delays to their journeys.
Frank Saunders, a chief meteorologist at the Met Office, stated, “Areas of heavy showers and thunderstorms will move northwards across southern parts of England and Wales later this afternoon before clearing northwards overnight. Thunderstorms are most likely for south-facing coastal districts, and hail and some strong gusts of wind could accompany the heaviest showers and thunderstorms.”
There had been concerns that the remnants of the 145mph Hurricane Kirk would arrive in the UK by Wednesday or Thursday. However, forecasters say the former tropical hurricane is now expected to skirt past the south of the UK and follow a track further south, potentially causing disruption in France and Spain instead.
Before that, there is concern about an area of low pressure bringing thunderstorms to part of the UK on Monday evening and night. The yellow warning for Wales states, “Areas of heavy showers and thunderstorms will move northwards across southern parts of England and Wales later Monday, clearing northwards overnight.”
The Met Office indicates that Tuesday will be “another day of sunshine and showers” with further heavy showers and thunderstorms expected across central and southern areas of the UK, overlapping with the areas affected by heavy rain on Monday evening. A longer period of heavy rain is also expected over parts of southeast Scotland and northeast England later on Tuesday through to Wednesday.
The rest of the week continues to look unsettled, with rain and showers affecting most areas at times, but probably less heavy and less widespread overall. Temperatures are forecasted to dip from Wednesday in the north, with all areas experiencing below-average temperatures from Thursday. Night frosts are expected for some regions, and snow is possible for the higher mountains of Scotland.