As Heatwave Ends in UK, Heavy Thunderstorms and Rain Are Being Expected Warns Experts

A BBC meteorologist has predicted "heavy thunderstorms and rain" in the next few days as the UK continues to battle with strong weather fronts.

Prolonged heat in portions of northern and western Europe ended this week with heavy rain and thunderstorms.

On Wednesday, regions of southern England experienced 50-65mm of rain in a matter of hours, leading Gatwick airport in London to postpone and cancel scores of flights.

Heavy thunderstorms hit the UK

(Photo : Raychel Sanner/Unsplash)

Ben Rich, appearing on BBC Breakfast this morning, warned of "potential thundery" weather conditions across the country, particularly in the north, as a weather front moves over the UK from the west. While the brunt of the rain has passed, Mr. Rich warned of "bursts of severe rains" as well as the occasional "sunny spell."

Mr. Rich predicts a damp start to next week, but that the sun will return for the rest of the week, with temperatures in the mid-twenties.

"There will be bright moments, yeah," Mr. Rich added, "but it is not the full picture." Wind and rain are expected for some of us, notably in the northwest of the UK, as a result of this little frontal system.

It's making its way over the UK, bringing with it some quite strong thunderstorms and rain at times." There's also some sharp wind here.

"As the day progresses, this band of rain, some of it heavy and perhaps thunderous, will move through Scotland and Ireland, down into the far north of England, via Cumberland and Northumbria."

"The westerly wind will continue to bring showers in from the Atlantic, and there is a fading weather front across SE Britain with increasing overcast here," said Jo Farrow, a Netweather.tv weather analyst.

Only a week ago, southern Britain was under a second Extreme Heat warning, with very warm nights and daytime temperatures in the low to mid-30s Celsius.

The high temperatures this weekend will range from 18 to 26 degrees Celsius.

Extreme weather in Italy

Italy, France, and Belgium all saw severe weather, with thunderstorms in the Italian area of Liguria producing hundreds of lightning strikes and hail measuring 4-5cm in diameter on Thursday, as per The Guardian.

Wind gusts of up to 75 mph were also recorded, causing trains such as the Genoa-La Spezia link to be stopped.

A powerful thunderstorm killed three people and wounded a dozen more in Corsica, France, due to fallen trees and collapsed homes.

This same storm caused wind gusts surpassing 130 mph, knocking out electricity to 45,000 families.

Torrential rains combined with parched soils following a long summer have resulted in catastrophic flash floods in several areas.

Transport infrastructure in major cities such as London, Paris, and Marseille has been severely disrupted, with streets being flooded and subway stations closing.

Flash flooding has also been a concern in western China, with 18 people dead and 36 still missing on Wednesday night in Qinghai province.

A downpour in Datong county's mountainous area prompted flood water to flow down the mountain, triggering a landslide that affected over 6,000 people in six villages, causing damaged homes and uprooted trees.

It happened only a week after seven people were killed in flash floods in China's Sichuan province.

Millions of residents in southwest China are experiencing power outages as a result of extended heat.

This summer, nine hundred million people in China have been subjected to heat warnings for 64 days in a row, the longest period in recorded history.

Prolonged heat has impacted hydropower output in areas of the country, with reservoirs drying up and key rivers like the Yangtze witnessing a 20-50% decline in water volume, decreasing supplies in provinces like Sichuan.

Local governments have attempted to cut electricity use by enforcing power rationing in homes, workplaces, and shopping centers.