UK to see heavy rain across 34 counties after heatwave

A dramatic shift in weather is forecast for the United Kingdom next week, with a prolonged period of heavy rain set to replace the recent record-breaking heatwave. The Met Office predicts substantial downpours across much of the country over a 30-hour period beginning Monday afternoon, June 1.

The rainfall is expected to start in Wales before moving eastward across England, continuing well into Tuesday evening around 7 p.m. Weather maps indicate that 34 counties are likely to experience significant precipitation, with some areas forecast to receive between 4 to 8 millimeters of rain per hour, and others potentially seeing even more intense rates of 8 to 16 millimeters. The affected regions span from the South West, including Devon, Cornwall, and Somerset, to counties across the Midlands, North of England, and the Southeast, such as Essex, Kent, and Greater Manchester.

This warning follows the UK recording its hottest May day on Tuesday, when temperatures reached 35.1 degrees Celsius at Kew Gardens in London. Chief Forecaster Chris Bulmer stated that the spell of very hot weather is now breaking down. While parts of the southeast could still reach highs of 32 degrees Celsius on...