The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for thunderstorms across much of England and Wales, in force from Wednesday until Thursday evening, warning of flash flooding, travel disruption, large hail and lightning. The downpours mark a significant shift after a prolonged dry spell in parts of southern England, with hard, parched ground making it harder for water to soak away and increasing the risk of surface water flooding on roads.

Wednesday's warning runs from 03:00 to 22:00 BST, with 20-30mm of rain possible within an hour in places and up to 40-50mm over a few hours, though showers will be patchy and hard for forecasters and weather apps to pinpoint. Thursday's warning, from 06:00 to 22:00 BST, could bring 20-30mm within three hours, with some spots seeing 50mm and a small chance of 75mm on eastern-facing hills, alongside hailstones of 1-2cm. Scotland and Northern Ireland are expected to escape the worst, while some areas such as Brize Norton and Kew Gardens have recorded almost no rainfall this summer, meaning this week's totals could dwarf recent rainfall there.