Thunderstorms and heavy rain are set to lead to cause flooding and danger to life across the UK over the coming days. 

The Met Office has issued several weather warnings that will be in place across most of the country from Tuesday (May 21) until Thursday (May 23).

These weather warnings come as thunderstorms and heavy rain get set to batter the UK with some areas to get up to 150mm of rain in the coming days.

There is also the possibility of flooding, power outages, damage to buildings and danger to life.

What to expect from the yellow weather warnings in the UK

Thunderstorms (Tuesday, May 21)

The Met Office issued a number of weather warnings across the UK due to thunderstorms which could cause disruptions and flooding.

This weather warning will be in place from 12pm until 9pm on Tuesday (May 21).

The thunderstorms associated with the yellow weather warning could also cause:

  • Spray and sudden flooding which could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
  • Delays and cancellations to train and bus services as a result of flooding and lightning strikes
  • Power cuts and disruptions to other services
  • Flooding
  • Damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds

A Met Office spokesperson added: "Heavy showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop during the afternoon across parts of southwest England, Wales and the West Midlands before slowly dying out during the evening.

"Many places will miss the worst, but where they do develop, some slow-moving and intense downpours are possible, giving accumulations of 20-30 mm in around 1 hour, and a lower likelihood of 40-50 mm in 2-3 hours in a few locations.

"Frequent lightning strikes and hail are also possible."

Heavy rain and flooding (Wednesday to Thursday, May 22 and 23)

The Met Office has also issued yellow weather warnings across the country for heavy rain and flooding which will be in place from as early as 12.15am on Wednesday (May 22) and concluding as late as 11.59pm on Thursday (May 23).

The heavy rain associated with the yellow weather warning is also likely to cause:

  • Some communities to be cut off by flooded roads
  • Spray and flooding which could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
  • Flooding could lead to damage to buildings
  • Fast flowing or deep floodwater, causing a danger to life
  • Delays or cancellations to train and bus services

A Met Office spokesperson added: "An area of rain is expected to develop across eastern and central England and then move northwestwards to affect northern England and north Wales during Wednesday afternoon.

"The area of rain could then become slow-moving, heavy and persistent, especially over north-facing hills, before clearing during Thursday morning.

"There is a lot of uncertainty over exactly where the heaviest rain will occur and this warning is likely to be updated.

"Many places will see 30-40 mm of rain, while a few areas may receive 60-80 mm.

"There is also a small chance that a few upland areas could see much higher totals, in the order of 100-150 mm."

Where to expect thunderstorms and heavy rain in the UK

The yellow weather warnings for thunderstorms on Tuesday will be in place in:

South West England

  • Bath and North East Somerset
  • Bristol
  • Cornwall
  • Devon
  • Dorset
  • Gloucestershire
  • North Somerset
  • Plymouth
  • Somerset
  • South Gloucestershire
  • Torbay
  • Wiltshire

Wales

  • Blaenau Gwent
  • Bridgend
  • Caerphilly
  • Cardiff
  • Carmarthenshire
  • Ceredigion
  • Conwy
  • Denbighshire
  • Gwynedd
  • Merthyr Tydfil
  • Monmouthshire
  • Neath Port Talbot
  • Newport
  • Pembrokeshire
  • Powys
  • Rhondda Cynon Taf
  • Swansea
  • Torfaen
  • Vale of Glamorgan
  • Wrexham

West Midlands

  • Herefordshire
  • Shropshire

East of England

  • Bedford
  • Cambridgeshire
  • Central Bedfordshire
  • Essex
  • Hertfordshire
  • Luton
  • Norfolk
  • Southend-on-Sea
  • Suffolk
  • Thurrock

London & South East England

  • Bracknell Forest
  • Brighton and Hove
  • Buckinghamshire
  • East Sussex
  • Greater London
  • Hampshire
  • Kent
  • Medway
  • Milton Keynes
  • Oxfordshire
  • Portsmouth
  • Reading
  • Slough
  • Southampton
  • Surrey
  • West Berkshire
  • West Sussex
  • Windsor and Maidenhead
  • Wokingham

Northern Ireland

  • County Antrim
  • County Armagh
  • County Down
  • County Fermanagh
  • County Londonderry
  • County Tyrone

While the heavy rain and flood warnings on Wednesday and Thursday will be in place in:

East Midlands

  • Derby
  • Derbyshire
  • Leicester
  • Leicestershire
  • Lincolnshire
  • Northamptonshire
  • Nottingham
  • Nottinghamshire
  • Rutland
  • East of England
  • Bedford
  • Cambridgeshire
  • Central Bedfordshire
  • Norfolk
  • Peterborough
  • London & South East England
  • Milton Keynes

North East England

  • Darlington
  • Durham
  • Gateshead
  • Hartlepool
  • Middlesbrough
  • Newcastle upon Tyne
  • North Tyneside
  • Northumberland
  • Redcar and Cleveland
  • South Tyneside
  • Stockton-on-Tees
  • Sunderland

North West England

  • Blackburn with Darwen
  • Blackpool
  • Cheshire East
  • Cheshire West and Chester
  • Cumbria
  • Greater Manchester
  • Halton
  • Lancashire
  • Merseyside
  • Warrington

Wales

  • Ceredigion
  • Conwy
  • Denbighshire
  • Flintshire
  • Gwynedd
  • Isle of Anglesey
  • Powys
  • Wrexham

West Midlands

  • Shropshire
  • Staffordshire
  • Stoke-on-Trent
  • Telford and Wrekin
  • Warwickshire
  • West Midlands Conurbation
  • Worcestershire

Yorkshire & Humber

  • East Riding of Yorkshire
  • Kingston upon Hull
  • North East Lincolnshire
  • North Lincolnshire
  • North Yorkshire
  • South Yorkshire
  • West Yorkshire
  • York

Central, Tayside & Fife

  • Angus
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Dundee
  • Falkirk
  • Fife
  • Perth and Kinross
  • Stirling

Grampian

  • Aberdeen
  • Aberdeenshire
  • Moray

Highlands & Eilean Siar

  • Highland

SW Scotland, Lothian Borders

  • Dumfries and Galloway
  • East Lothian
  • Edinburgh
  • Midlothian Council
  • Scottish Borders
  • West Lothian

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Strathclyde

  • Argyll and Bute
  • East Ayrshire
  • East Renfrewshire
  • Glasgow
  • North Ayrshire
  • North Lanarkshire
  • South Ayrshire
  • South Lanarkshire

For up to date weather warnings and/or forecasts visit the Met Office website.