Met Office yellow weather warnings for thunderstorms and rain but will they end in time for half term?

After enjoying a brief mild weather spell recently, the UK is bracing itself for bouts of torrential rain and thunderstorms in the forthcoming days. Regions including southeast and southwest England, East Anglia, Wales and Northern Ireland are all at risk of flooding, lightning strikes and hail showers over the next few hours.

The most recent Met Office forecast warns that on Tuesday night, regions such as Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset and western Northern Ireland can expect up to two inches of rain to fall within merely a few hours. Additionally, a separate thunderstorm warning has been issued for duties of southeast England and East Anglia, expected to last till midnight.

Further rain warnings have also been declared for parts of the Midlands, North East, North West, Wales and Yorkshire and Humber which will commence overnight and persist until 6am on Thursday. These changes in the weather are occurring just before an area of low pressure scheduled to hit the country from the east on Wednesday arrives, carrying with it prolonged heavy rainfall and potential localised flooding.

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Commenting on these updates, Met Office forecaster Amy Bokotan noted, "The downpours could be slow moving, and that's the main trouble - the wind's quite light at the moment so when they do form, they could be quite slow moving and intense."

Adding to this, she said: "Where you see them they could be quite intense and dramatic, but not every where's going to see them and some places just down the road could be completely fine and shower and thunderstorm-free.", reports the Mirror.

The dreary weather has left many parents wondering if the rain will persist into next week, potentially disrupting Bank Holiday and half term plans. The Met Office's forecast suggests that Friday will continue to see scattered showers, particularly in the north, with a similar pattern expected on Saturday as a front may sweep in from the Atlantic, bringing a band of rain to Northern Ireland and western Scotland.

However, there is a silver lining for most of the country, as Saturday is predicted to be a fair day, feeling warmer with slightly above average temperatures. From Sunday onwards, the weather is likely to be a mix of showers and warm sunshine.

The latest forecast reads: "By Bank Holiday Monday, there may still be some showers around, otherwise it will be dry and fine, and feeling warm in the sunshine. Into the following week, once any showers have cleared, more settled conditions are more likely for most, with the best of the weather likely in the southwest."

"Rain may threaten north-western areas at times, and there is a chance that southern or eastern areas may see the odd heavy or thundery outbreak of showers. Temperatures are likely to remain a little above average, with some regional variation."