Wet and windy with a strong chance of rainbows – half-term forecast

Wet and windy weather is set to sweep the nation from the second day of the half-term holidays in England and Wales, with weather warnings in the west for later in the week.

The Met Office has forecast an “unsettled week of autumnal weather”, starting with chilly nights and a rain front expected to affect all parts of the UK on Tuesday.

A yellow weather warning for rain which could cause flooding and travel disruption is also in place for north-west England and west Wales, from midday on Thursday until the weekend.

The areas covered by the warning stretch from Carlisle in Cumbria to just north of Cardiff, including Bangor.

Sunshine with blustery showers is forecast for all regions from Monday to Wednesday, with the combination likely to lead to “plenty of rainbows”, according to Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon.

Mr Claydon said those living in eastern areas are likely to experience the best of the sunshine, while showers will be concentrated in the west.

Clear skies overnight on Monday and Tuesday will lead to chilly temperatures across the board, with the coolest areas in the Scottish highlands likely to reach freezing.

Highs of 14-15C are forecast for London, and temperatures of up to 9C are expected in Inverness.

Strong winds are also expected on the south coast on Tuesday evening, with gusts of up to 40mph in Dover.

“Substantial rainfall” will hit the country from midday on Thursday until the weekend, with up to 130mm of rain predicted in the Welsh mountains, and averages of 30-40mm for the rest of the UK.

Mr Claydon said: “The rain will be more concentrated from Thursday, coming in from the west again and affecting all parts of the UK, but particularly Wales and north-western parts of England.

“Overall, we’re looking at an unsettled autumnal week of weather.”