Maps show where thunderstorms will hit UK today

After days of dry weather, the UK is set to be hit by thunderstorms – but the heat will remain.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms covering the majority of England and Wales for the whole of Thursday, which could lead to sudden flooding and disruption to transport.

The storms are expected to affect south-east England and parts of East Anglia during the early hours of Thursday, when between 25mm and 40mm of rain could fall in an hour, the forecaster said. There is a small risk of more than 60mm of rainfall in two to three hours, which could be accompanied by frequent lightning.

The Met Office predicts heavy and thundery showers across parts of Wales, the Midlands and northern England which will ease towards midday. Scattered heavy showers and thunderstorms are expected across Thursday afternoon and evening across parts of central, southern and eastern England and South Wales which could produce 50mm of rain or more in one to two hours as well as gusty winds, large hailstones and the risk of flooding.

Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge said: “The problem is that the winds are very light as well, so where you see those heavy thundery showers, there’s not really much wind to blow them through as often as when you have showers and it’s a fairly breezy day – you don’t get much of the rain from one particular shower.

“Where those thunderstorms occur, that local area will probably get pretty much all of the rain that that thunder cloud is holding – so there could be very locally heavy downpours which bring along the risk of localised flooding and surface water problems for transport networks.”

While storms will affect large parts of the country, anyone hoping for cooler temperatures will be disappointed as there will be “a lot of fine, dry and sunny weather” and Thursday will feel “very warm, very humid and very muggy”, Partridge added. Highs of up to 30C are expected from Hampshire up to north London while western Scotland is predicted to experience the coolest temperatures of the day of between 17C and 18C.

• Read more: Thunderstorm alert issued as lightning set to hit during UK heatwave (The Independent)

Yahoo breaks down what the weather will be like for each region of the UK.

London and the South East

• Thursday

Cloudy with some showers before easing. Sunny spells developing before possibly severe heavy showers and thunderstorms. Hot and very humid. Maximum temperature 30C.

• Friday

Sunny spells with scattered showers, possibly heavy with a risk of thunder. Maximum temperature 30C.

South West

• Thursday

Hot and sunny with heavy, thundery downpours developing in the afternoon. Possible hail and gusty winds. Maximum temperature 29C.

• Friday

Fine and dry with sunny spells. Cloudy later with outbreaks of rain in the evening. Slightly cooler but still warm. Maximum temperature 24C.

Midlands

• Thursday

Heavy rain and a risk of isolated thunder to start the day in the East Midlands. Sunny spells developing before potential thundery and heavy showers. Maximum temperature 27C.

Very warm and sunny after thundery showers in the West Midlands. Heavy and thundery showers in the afternoon with hail and gusty winds possible., Maximum temperature 28C.

• Friday

Sunny spells with scattered showers in the East Midlands. Risk of thunder, Maximum temperature 28C.

Fine and dry with sunny spells in the West Midlands. Outbreaks of cloud and rain in the evening. Slightly cooler but still warm. Maximum temperature 25C.

North East

• Thursday

Outbreaks of heavy rain clearing to leave sunny spells. Risk of heavy showers and thunder by the afternoon. Maximum temperature 23C.

• Friday

A bright start before cloud and rain in the afternoon. Maximum temperature 25C.

North West

• Thursday

Thundery showers clearing by mid-morning. Very warm sunny spells before heavy, thundery downpours In the afternoon. Maximum temperature 25C.

• Friday

Fine and dry with sunny spells. Outbreaks of rain arriving in the evening. Slightly cooler but still warm. Maximum temperature 23C.

Scotland

• Thursday

Dry with sunny spells but with the odd shower in the afternoon. Maximum temperature 21C.

• Friday

Bright and sunny to start, cloudy in the afternoon and rain by the evening. Maximum temperature 22C.

Northern Ireland

• Thursday

A cloudy start followed by sunny spells. Chance of the odd shower. Maximum temperature 22C.

• Friday

A bright start before turning cloudy, with heavy rain in the afternoon. Maximum temperature 20C.

Wales

• Thursday

Very warm and sunny but with heavy, thundery downpours developing in the afternoon. Possible hail and gusty winds. Feeling humid. Maximum temperature 29C.

• Friday

Fine and dry with sunny spells. Outbreaks of rain in the evening. Slightly cooler but still warm. Maximum temperature 24C.