UK rain washout
UK to experience a month's worth of rain over the bank holiday Reuters

If you're planning on having a BBQ on bank holiday Monday in the UK, then you may want to think about moving it indoors. Britain is set to be deluged with a month's worth of rain in just eight hours on Sunday afternoon, with an additional 40mm dumped in 12 hours tomorrow, according to the Met Office.

The downpour, which will mainly affect the South and the Midlands, is attributed to thunderstorms sweeping in from across the channel from France. The bad weather is set to dry up as most people return to work on Tuesday after the bank holiday, according to the Sun. The Met Office has issued a severe weather warning in some areas, with the potential for flooding in South East England.

MeteoGroup forecaster John Griffiths said: "Patchy rain has been pulsing up from the south-west. It's only bits and pieces for now, but it will get heavier later in the day." He added: "There is expected to be heavy rain across much of England and Wales tomorrow before conditions turn drier and cooler on Tuesday and for the rest of the week."

"Heavy showers and possibly some more prolonged rain is expected at times during Sunday," the Met Office has warned. "Rain could be heavy, with the risk of some torrential downpours whilst lightning may well be an additional hazard at times. Very localised impacts from standing water or flooding from fast responding watercourses may affect travel and some outdoor events and activities."

Tonight it is forecast that there could be some heavy, thundery showers. Monday will be cloudy with rain, which will be heavy at times, and there will also be strong winds and possibly hailstones.

This comes as the Met Office confirmed that the summer in Britain this year has been cooler and wetter than normal. In the previous week alone, rainfall has increased southern and eastern England, with flooding reported in the region causing disruptions to the travel networks.

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