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Short thundery downpours with hail have been reported in the south and southeast of the country today, as unsettled weather moves across the UK bringing spells of rain and gusty winds.
The Met Office warned this morning that some of the showers will be heavy and mixed with hail, and Brits shouldn’t be surprised if they hear a rumble of thunder.
Around lunchtime today, it was reporting heavy and thundery rain in central and southern England, with widespread showers across the UK. People were seen dashing for shelter from the hailstones in Westminster, London.
Temperatures are expected to remain between 14C (57.2F) in the north, and 19C (66.2F) in the south, with central areas seeing temperatures of 16C (60.8F) to 18C (64.4F).
Met Office forecaster Grahame Madge told MailOnline that drier, sunnier conditions will appear this afternoon, with showers fading in the east and central areas of the country.
‘The west will remain cloudier, and there may be locally heavy rain in northwest Scotland,’ he added.
A group of women cover their hair with carrier bags to protect them from a torrential rain and hailstone downpour in Westminster today
A woman in Kensington, west London, leaps over a growing puddle with her umbrella as rain hits the capital this morning
A rain shower passes the north and south piers at Tynemouth on the North East coast of England today
Last night, heavy rain resulted in surface water flooding in Chelmsford, Essex, as localised showers hit parts of the country.
The jet stream – which plays a crucial role the UK’s weather – will be strengthening through the week, bringing low pressure in from the west, resulting in wind and rain for much of the country. Temperatures could dip to 10C (50F) in the early hours some mornings.
Mr Madge said that tomorrow will bring cloud and occasional rain, moving east. However eastern areas should remain largely dry.
This will be followed by sunny intervals and a few showers, but will remain breezy and quite gusty in the north.
Through the week, the strongest winds are likely to be in the northwest of the country from tomorrow.
The Met Office said the middle of this week will see a spell of ‘changeable and unseasonably windy weather’ with showers, longer spells of rain, and a risk of coastal gales in the north.
A woman covers her head with her pink and red checked coat, as she crossed a rainy street in Kensington, London, today
A woman covers her head with a newspaper to shelter from the rain after a downpour hit London this morning
People run across the street in Kensington, London, through the rain, after thunder broke out across the city
Hail hits London today, with people seeking shelter from the thunderstorm with their jackets and umbrellas
People walk down Kensington High Street in the rain as shirt thunderstorms break out across south and central areas
Umbrellas were out in full force today when a heavy down pour hit London, with thunder rumbling above
A man crosses the street as headlights illuminate the wet roads, as a thunderstorm his the capital city
By 11am today, the Met Office was reporting heavy and thundery showers in central and southern England, with widespread rain showers across the UK, with some patches of lightning developing
‘It could be quite breezy and gusty in north Scotland,’ Mr Madge said. ‘Friday will have a few blustery showers in northwest Scotland, before easing, bringing a fine day with sunny spells.’
Weather will be improving by Saturday, he said, with a ridge of high pressure moving in.
Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Adam Thornhill said the strengthening of the jet stream is the driving force behind low pressure moving in off the Atlantic and bringing periods of rain and wind for most this week.
‘The strongest winds will be in the northwest and although most areas of the UK will see some rain in the week, the highest accumulations are expected in western areas, with the southeast most likely to escape any rain,’ he said.
‘Weather of this nature isn’t unusual in a UK spring, as changes in the jet stream frequently bring interludes of unsettled weather.’
Some more settled weather will be on the way heading into the weekend, as the jet stream weakens, and high pressure begins to build in from the southwest.
Showers are possible in the far north on Friday, with areas further south most likely to stay dry and bright, as the weather settles.
Temperatures are expected to be widely around average for the time of year, although maybe warm in the south after some cool mornings, and feeling cool on exposed North Sea coasts.
Last night, heavy rain resulted in surface water flooding in Chelmsford, Essex. Short thundery downpours are expected in the south and southeast of the country today
