The Met Office has issued yellow thunderstorm warnings across all four of the home nations as Britons are braced for a mega deluge.
Warnings cover England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with only areas of south-east England and northern Scotland excluded from the yellow warnings.
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The weather service’s warnings run from 11am until midnight for England and Wales, and until 9pm today for Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The warning for England and Wales reads: “Showers, heavy and thundery, will reach southwest England and Wales later Sunday morning, before spreading and developing more widely during the afternoon.
“Whilst some areas will miss the heaviest showers, where they do occur 10-15 mm of rain is possible in less than an hour, with 30-40 mm possible over several hours, these larger totals most likely for parts of north and northwest England and southwest Scotland.
“Hail, frequent lightning and, in southern parts of England and Wales, wind gusts of 35-45 mph will be additional hazards.
“Heaviest showers and thunderstorms will become more isolated later in the evening.”
For Scotland and Northern Ireland, the Met Office has warned: “Showers will become widespread, heavy and thundery later Sunday morning, lasting through the afternoon and into Sunday evening.
“Whilst some areas may miss the heaviest showers, where they do occur, 10-15 mm of rain is possible in an hour or so, with 25-35 mm possible in several hours, lightning and hail will be additional hazards.
“Heaviest of the showers will ease from the west through the evening.”
With many travelling during the Bank holiday weekend, the weather service has issued a series of precautions for Britons to take; these include: “Give yourself the best chance of avoiding delays by checking road conditions if driving, or bus and train timetables, amending your travel plans if necessary.
“If you find yourself outside and hear thunder, protect yourself by finding a safe enclosed shelter (such as a car).
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“Do not shelter under or near trees, or other structures which may be struck by lightning. If you are on an elevated area, move to lower ground.
“People cope better with power cuts when they have prepared for them in advance. It’s easy to do; consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items.
“Consider if your location is at risk of flash flooding. If so, consider preparing a flood plan and an emergency flood kit.”
Weather over the weekend has dampened many people’s excitement for some of the UK’s biggest music festivals.
Festivalgoers at Reading, Leeds and Creamfields were looking forward to a weekend of seeing artists like Raye and Calvin Harris.
Most will not have expected to spend their weekend in marsh-like conditions, but thanks to thunderstorms sweeping the UK this week, last-minute outfit changes were needed.
Clips on social media have shown festivalgoers bringing their weekend gear down muddy and wet paths.
One user, Eldougy on TikTok, shared a video of Creamfields entry, rolling a trolley down a muddy path with the caption: “Carrying all that to camp wasn’t okay.”
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