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The Met Office has issued a yellow thunderstorm warning for parts of England and Wales as the country prepares for a post-heatwave downpour.
Brits in the southeast and southwest of England as well as parts of Wales can expect a washout tomorrow (Friday, July 22) as two inches of rain are expected to fall in just two hours, with thunderstorms continuing for half a day.
Forecasters predict that the thunderstorms will develop from mid to late morning and peak in the afternoon, with the warning in place from 10am until 10pm.
READ MORE: UK heatwave: Why thunderstorms and heavy rain often follow scorching weather
As well as rain, hail and frequent lightning may also strike in areas including Portsmouth, Bath, Bristol, Torbay and Cardiff.
Following the storm it is expected that temperatures could reach up to 32C on Sunday (July 24) in the southeast, with much cooler temperatures being felt across the north of the country.
This comes just days after a blistering heatwave brought parts of the UK to a grinding halt, with temperatures in parts of the country inching past 40C and breaking the record for the highest temperature the nation has ever seen.
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It's not uncommon for extreme heat to be followed by thunderstorms, Stephen Dixon, a spokesperson for the Met Office, said.
"Thunderstorms develop when warm air is closer to the surface of the Earth and cooler air above it.
"That warmer air rises and that mixing with the cooler air is what causes the instability and water droplets to form.
"It’s fairly common at this time of year to see thunderstorms of this nature."
And despite a dramatic change in the weather, the impact of the heatwave is likely to stick around for weeks.
Wildfires across the UK saw homes and cars burned to the ground, sparking the busiest day for firefighters since World War Two.
In Wennington, east London, as many as 18 families lost their homes and 90 people were evacuated as a blaze tore through the village.
The blistering heat also sparked drought fears as the country's reservoirs began to vanish at an extraordinary rate.
Even before temperatures topped the 40C mark there were fears over a water shortage due to a lack of rainfall, and water companies had advised wary Brits to shorten their showers even as temperatures soared.
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- Met Office
- Weather Forecast
- UK Weather
- Heatwave
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