The UK could see up to 40mm of rain in the space of three hours as severe thunderstorms are set to hit parts of the country this week.
The Met Office has issued weather warnings for Monday to Wednesday, with thunderstorm warnings covering almost all of Scotland on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Those storms have the potential to bring between 20mm and 40mm of rain in a 180-minute period, while other parts of England and Wales are expected to see heavy showers with up to 20mm of rain in an hour, according to meteorologists.
The areas covered by the warnings have been advised to expect difficult driving conditions and potentially some road closures, as well as a risk of flooding.
On Monday morning, the Environment Agency kept a severe flood warning in place for Whaley Bridge, the Derbyshire town endangered by a potential dam collapse, and three flood alerts in southwest and northwest England.
"Minor river flooding and surface water impacts remain a possibility across parts of England and Wales from Tuesday into Friday due to heavy showers and possible thunderstorms," Ben Lukey, duty flood manager for the Environment Agency, said.
"We continue to monitor the situation over the coming days and will issue flood warnings and flood alerts, if necessary."
He added: “We advise people to follow the advice from emergency services and stay away from swollen rivers. Do not drive through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car."
Overall, the UK should expect an unsettled and showery week with significantly lower temperatures than the recent heatwave that swept the country last month.
“It’s a fairly unsettled week. There will be calmer spells but pretty much everywhere in the UK could see heavy showers,” Oli Claydon, a Met Office spokesperson, said.
He added that in general people should expect showers with between 5mm and 10mm of rain across the country.
The wet weather will also bring cooler temperatures to the UK, with a maximum of 26C expected in the southeast and much of the country seeing temperatures at or just below 20C.
“The theme for the new working week is generally an unsettled one. Low pressure stays in charge, further showers – heavy at times – and some longer spells of rain,” Greg Dewhurst, a Met Office meteorologist, said.
“Then, perhaps a brief respite into Thursday before further wet and windy weather spreads in for Friday.”
Scotland is expected to see the most severe weather at the start of the week, while the southwest and southern Wales are predicted to see the heaviest showers on Thursday and Friday.
