UK weather: Met Office warns thunderstorms and hail to hit in DAYS with flooding fears despite 30C sunshine

THE Met Office has warned thunderstorms and hail could hit the UK in days despite 30C sunshine predicted.

Brits are set to soak up the bright weather this weekend as a Spanish plume finally brings in some summer sun.

According to the Met Office, temperatures will start to warm up on Friday before Saturday brings an even hotter spell.

However, reports from the weather service say "heavy rain" is likely to occur on Saturday afternoon - shortly followed by thunder and lightning.

Flooding is also expected in some parts as the downpour affects London, Bath, the West Midlands, part of the north of England and the whole of Wales.

A spokesperson for the Met said: "Whilst many places will be largely dry, thunderstorms with heavy rain and hail are likely to develop in some places on Saturday afternoon.

"There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds.

"Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures.

"Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and possibly even cancellations to rail services.

"There is a slight chance that power cuts could occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be temporarily lost."

Around 30-40mm of rain is predicted to fall in just one hour as the conditions move from the south of England and up the country.

Despite, the yellow weather warning being in place from 2pm until 9pm, it will still be fairly hot.

Reports say the high pressure responsible for the last couple of weeks of "settled weather" will drift towards Scandinavia, bringing in the warm air.

For most parts of the UK, highs of 28 and 30C are expected along with "very high" UV levels, says the weather service.

The South West is forecast to hit 26C on Friday afternoon with Salisbury, Yeovil and Gillingham being the hottest in the country.

Bournemouth, Chichester, and Southampton are predicted to reach just one degree lower.

South Wales will also hit around the 25C mark.

The West Midlands will only see highs of 23C with the north of England reaching 21C.

The warm air from the south will increase the chances of some thundery showers in parts of Devon and Cornwall.

On Saturday, London will experience conditions of 28C by 1pm, say the weather service.

Peterborough will be the second warmest at 26C along with Cambridge, and Huntingdon.

Dumfries, Scotland will see highs of 25C around 4pm.

Sunday will drop off slightly with highs of 25C in the east with much of the country being 23C.

Pollen levels are also expected to be "very high" across the whole wekeend.

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Dan Harris said: "Temperatures will rise later this week and into the weekend, with a plume of warm air being drawn in from the south.

"Temperatures over the weekend could peak around 30°C in some parts of England and remain well above average during night-times.

"Coupled with the rise in temperatures is an increase in the likelihood of some potentially heavy and thundery showers, which could bring some localised disruption in the far southwest from as early as late Friday - but more likely more widely into the weekend, though it is not possible to be definitive about exact details this far from the potential event."

It comes as the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued the first yellow warning for the year yesterday.

Six regions of the country are expected the be impacted with the alert being, which is in place from 9am Friday until 9am on Monday.

The regions affected are London, East Midlands, West Midlands, east of England, South East and the South West.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at the UHSA, said: "In the coming days we are likely to experience our first sustained period of hot weather of the year so far, so it’s important that everyone ensures they keep hydrated and cool while enjoying the sun.

"Forecasted temperatures this week will primarily impact those over the age of 65 or those with pre-existing health conditions such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

"If you have friends, family or neighbours who you know are more vulnerable to the effects of hot weather, it is important you check in on them and ensure they are aware of the forecasts and are following the necessary advice."