UK weather: Thunder, hail and lightning to batter Britain TODAY before ‘intense downpours’ hit, Met Office warns

NewsUK News BRITS can expect to be battered by thunder, hail and lightning today before “intense downpours” strike, the Met Office has warned. Scotland is already seeing showers this morning, particularly in western and southern parts, which stretch into northern England. Shoppers in Notting Hill, West London, get caught in the rain Credit: Splash A couple shelter under an umbrella in Tywyn on the Welsh coast Credit: Alamy Scattered showers will mainly affect Scotland at the start of Sunday before spreading south into England, where some could turn heavy and thundery including around the Leeds Festival, the Met Office said. Eastern parts will see the best of the sunshine moving into this afternoon. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! However, a band of low pressure is forecast to dominate bringing rain to Northern Ireland and northern England, Wales and the South West. Those rainy spells with bring some thunder, hail and “frequent lightning” as well as some gusty winds. Racegoers at Royal Windsor Racecourse in Berkshire were determined to enjoy their evening of horse racing despite the downpour Credit: Shutterstock Editorial The heavy rain left puddles in Northampton Credit: Alamy Reading Festival and Notting Hill Carnival could see occasional showers, with conditions turning wetter into the evening. Met Office meteorologist Kathryn Chalk said: “Low pressure is firmly in charge throughout Sunday. “This area of low pressure is moving its way eastwards bringing a rash of showers.” In the sunshine though temperatures are expected to hit 23-24C but feeling cool during an “intense downpour”. Most read in The Sun The low pressure will continue to move easterly during Sunday evening, bringing showers to many places. Some clearer patches are predicted to move in behind as the bank holiday Monday gets underway. There will be some brighter areas in the east initially, but showers will break out but are expected to be less “lively” than in recent days. Most areas in the UK will see a “pleasant” afternoon. Temperatures could reach 21-22C. Nine areas were covered by Environment Agency flood alerts, meaning floods are possible, as of Saturday night. It comes after continued hot weather across the UK, which coincided with extremely dry conditions. The Met Office has previously said the UK is on course for its hottest summer on record after five heatwaves, with temperatures of up to 38.1C recorded in London. Comment now