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The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for parts of Southern England as more unsettled weather is expected over the weekend despite higher temperatures.
The warning covers southern areas stretching from Portsmouth, Brighton and Canterbury, where thunderstorms are expected to bring localised disruptions on Thursday morning till noon.
The change in weather, after a hot spell of the last few days, comes as a low pressure is set to dominate conditions for the next few days.
The Met Office predicts a mix of sunshine and showers for many regions on Thursday. The southern regions, particularly southern England, are likely to experience heavy and thundery showers while the northwest will witness a fresher feel in the air.
While some thunderstorms might develop in the far south and southeast of England on Thursday, the most active thunderstorms are expected over the sea and northern France.
Scotland is likely to experience rain Thursday night, followed by slow-moving heavy showers in western areas.
As the day progresses into the night, heavy showers and thunderstorms across the southeast will gradually ease, the forecaster said.
Clear spells are expected to develop over much of England and Wales later. However, showers are predicted to persist across the northern and western areas, accompanied by cooler temperatures.
Friday’s weather is again expected to be a mixture of sunny spells and showers for most regions. The frequency of showers will be higher in the north and the west, where there is also a risk of hail and thunder. The southeast can expect drier and brighter conditions compared to other parts of the country.
A low-pressure system will continue to influence the weather throughout the weekend, resulting in a blend of sunshine and showers across the UK.
“While showers are never too far away through the weekend, there will still be drier spells around and where there are breaks in the cloud on Sunday in the south it should feel quite pleasant,” said Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Steven Keates.
“Areas to the southeast will see fewer showers with more in the way of bright or sunny spells on Saturday and Sunday, though temperatures are likely to remain around average for the time of year.”
Looking ahead on Monday, showers are expected to continue, but with some clear and sunny spells.
“Monday, which is a Bank Holiday for those in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, will probably see band of showery rain clear from eastern England early in the day, with sunny spells and scattered showers following on for most places. There are no signals for significant heat in the current forecast period.”
The thundery showers come after a period of hot weather this week when temperatures climbed up to 27C after weeks of unsettled weather.
Forecasters warn this hot spell could be the last Britons see this year. Temperatures seem to be dropping in the coming days followed by rainfall and thunderstorms.
The Met Office predicts the continuation of an unsettled weather pattern in the upcoming week. A westerly airflow is expected to continue, bringing showers and occasional longer periods of rain to different parts of the country.