Much of the UK can expect heavy rain with a possibility of flooding and travel disruption on Wednesday and Thursday.
An amber weather warning has been issued by the Met Office and covers part of the country.
The locations issued the amber warning for parts of north Wales and north west England, including Liverpool and Manchester, for 24 hours from noon on Wednesday.
The warning explains that flooding and disruption are likely in the region with rain becoming heavy and persistent.
Heavy rain and thunderstorms will affect parts of the UK during the next few days ⛈️
— Met Office (@metoffice) May 21, 2024
Find out more in our latest news update ⤵️
Which weather warnings are currently in place across the UK?
A yellow warning for rain is in place in the north of England, the Midlands and north and mid Wales until 6am on Thursday.
The southern edges of the affected area have been extended to run roughly from around Norwich to Bath.
Another yellow rain warning comes into place at noon on Wednesday for Scotland, covering the south and east of the country, which runs until 6pm on Thursday.
A further yellow warning for thunderstorms has been added for much of the south coast of England from 8am to 7pm on Wednesday.
Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said: “Some areas are really going to see a lot of heavy, persistent rain through a big chunk of Wednesday. It is going to be a pretty wet picture as we go through the rest of the week for many places.
“There is some uncertainty as to exactly where we are going to see the heaviest rain and where is most likely to be impacted.”
The forecast says heavy and, in places, prolonged rainfall is expected from an area of low pressure arriving from the east which has brought downpours to parts of central Europe.
How much rain will there be in the UK?
Many places could see 30-40mm of rain, while a few areas may receive 60-80mm as heavy rain moves northwards throughout Wednesday.
The Met Office said there is a small chance a few upland areas could see up to 150mm.
As well as the thunderstorm warning which includes scattered showers and the threat of spray on the roads and sudden flooding, the south of England could see heavy, thundery showers which could bring 30-40mm within three hours.
A Met Office spokeswoman said: “The precise track of the low pressure which would determine where the rainfall comes is still uncertain and is something we are keeping an eye on.
“We would encourage people to keep an eye on the forecast over the next couple of days to see how that evolves.”
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Areas exposed to the strengthening northerly winds are most likely to see the highest rainfall, said chief meteorologist Andy Page.
On Thursday, northern areas are expected to remain cloudy and wet but drier further south with brighter conditions becoming more widespread by the end of the week.
Will we get a wet bank holiday weekend?
Bank Holiday Monday is expected to be dry and fine for much of the country.
It’s predicted that it will feel warm in the sunshine although there remains the threat of showers ahead of more settled conditions.
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