The yellow thunderstorm warning for today is valid until 6pm and covers parts of north west England and North Wales.

The yellow thunderstorm warning for tomorrow runs from midnight to 10 am on Saturday as a plume of warm air pushes north up from the continent across the southern half of the UK bringing with it an increasing risk of thunderstorms to southern counties.

Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Andy Page, said: “Many places within the warning areas are unlikely to see a thunderstorm at all, but those places that do see one could well see impacts from heavy rain and frequent lightning strikes.”

“On Saturday few places could see up to 20 – 30 mm of rain within an hour, with a small chance of 50 mm in 2 to 3 hours, most likely near the south coast.  The risk of thunderstorms eases as we go through Saturday morning. However, as this band of warm air continues to push further north across the UK there is a risk of more thunderstorms and heavy downpours on Sunday. We will be monitoring this risk and may need to issue another warning when the potential for impacts becomes clearer. Please keep an eye on the forecast for your area regularly for any updates.”

Away from the thunderstorms it will be mainly fine and dry on Saturday with sunny spells, becoming rather warm, although eastern coasts will remain cool and rather cloudy at times. Temperatures are likely to be cooler at we go through the rest of the weekend, reaching the low 20 Cs at best tomorrow and down another degree or so on Sunday. The warmest weather is likely to be in the north-west of Scotland.

Sunday will be mainly fine and warm with sunny periods in the north, while the south will be cooler with the chance of showers. It will remain unsettled and showery for the start of next week, with north-west Scotland continuing to see the best of the weather.

As the Jubilee weekend continues the roads remain busy, RAC traffic spokesman Rod Dennis said: “The fact the bank holidays coincide with the end of half-term in many places has the potential to put some extra pressure on the road network, so planning a journey carefully is important to beat the worst of any queues.  

“The best way for drivers to avoid breaking down this week is to check over their vehicles before setting out – yet our research shows less than a fifth do this routinely. Making sure oil, coolant and screenwash are all at the right levels takes just minutes, as does ensuring tyres are free of damage and are inflated properly. A bit of TLC now could make the difference between a straightforward trip and one beset by a breakdown.”  

Gabbi Batchelor, Water Safety Education Manager at the RNLI said: “We are expecting the Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday Weekend and the half-term holidays to be incredibly busy at the coast. We want everyone to enjoy their trip, but we also want to make sure people stay safe and know what to do in an emergency.  

“If you get into trouble in the water, Float to Live: lean back, using your arms and legs to stay afloat. Control your breathing, then call for help or swim to safety. In a coastal emergency, call 999 or 112 for the Coastguard.”  

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