The Met Office weather warnings now cover parts of the UK on Wednesday and Thursday, with thunderstorms and heavy rain expected to move in from France. The first warning starts at 03:00 BST on Wednesday, and the second begins at 06:00 BST on Thursday.
People in east Wales, the Midlands, northern England, East Anglia and southern England, including London, are inside the warning area. Some places may miss the storms entirely, but the heaviest bursts could still bring 20-30mm of rain in less than an hour and 40-50mm in two to three hours.
France and Wednesday and
The storms are forecast to drift out of France and move northwards, reaching the southeast coast of England first and then spreading further inland. On Tuesday evening, a few showers are likely to reach Cornwall and the West Country, before heavier downpours with thunder and lightning arrive later at night.
By Wednesday morning, the storms may spread further north into the Midlands and the Peak District. On Thursday, some storms may become slow moving across the Midlands, Wales and Northern England, which is where the heaviest rain could linger longest.
Wales and Northern England
The Met Office said flooding is possible where thunderstorms do occur, with lightning likely to be frequent and hail of around 1-2cm possible. The rain could also help dry areas, but the same hard ground may struggle to absorb intense downpours quickly enough, raising the risk of flash flooding.
On Thursday, many areas could see 20-30mm of rain in just three hours, with up to 50mm possible in some places. The Met Office also said there is a small chance of considerably higher totals, particularly over east-facing higher ground, where more than 75mm could fall within 12 hours.
Thursday and
The warnings run until 22:00 BST on both days, so the main task for people in the warning area is to plan for bursts of very heavy rain rather than a steady all-day event. Which towns and counties see the worst storms is not identified, so the sharpest impacts may vary from place to place across the warning zone.
