Many in Wales have woken up significantly cooler as the amber 'extreme heat' warning has ended and been substituted by a yellow thunderstrom warning. The much-needed rain will return this week's temperatures to August averages of 19-21C and start undoing some of the damage created by the drought.
However, people are advised to be careful as drastic weather changes can be dangerous, especially on the roads. The Met Office says: "Hit-and-miss thunderstorms likely to develop through Monday, producing some torrential downpours for some spots, and possible disruption."
Due to the long, dry period Wales has faced, it will take dry ground a lot longer to absorb rainwater, which can cause flash floods. Within the yellow warning, the Met Office says: "Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closure.
"There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong wind. Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services."
The yellow warning is in place across Wales from Monday morning until Tuesday evening, with motorists advised to check the forecast before they travel and delay journeys if heavy rain is forecast. Forecasts across Wales during this time are a bit of a lottery, with areas of low pressure, cloud, and rain forecast intermittently across the country - see our three-day forecast here.
Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Jason Kelly said: "The warnings highlight the chance of some places seeing around 50mm of rain falling in a three-hour period in the north, with some areas further south possibly seeing around 30mm of rain in a three-hour period. Hail and frequent lightning are also possible as part of these downpours and represents an additional hazard.”
Looking ahead to the rest of the week, a yellow warning remains in place in parts of the UK on Wednesday, however this at present does not include Wales. However, the Met Office has told WalesOnline that "it wouldn't be outside the bounds of possibility" that this warning might be extended to include parts of south Wales.
By Thursday and Friday, the Met Office predicts the majority of the rain will have passed and forecasts dry and cooler weather, with just the odd shower. Looking at the UK long-range forecast, which covers the bank holiday weekend, the Met Office said; "Cloud and rain will start moving into northwestern areas on Friday but remaining dry and bright in the southeast. A keen breeze may develop across the north and northwest towards the end of the week.
"Periods of rain will alternate with drier and clearer weather over the weekend and into the start of next week. Any prolonged rain is expected to occur across northern parts. Temperatures likely near normal at first, but becoming rather warm again further into the period, especially in the south.
"Unsettled conditions will likely dominate in most areas towards the end of the period, with a chance of showers in the south and some further spells of rain in the north."
Read next:
-
Firefighters battle through the night at scene of major fire with residents told to stay inside
-
'Kind, funny, thoughtful and beautiful' woman killed in car crash
-
Massive former Sports Direct store offered for six months rent free as city centre struggles
-
'It's horrible, unbearable' Life in Cardiff's apartment blocks on the hottest days of the year
