UK weather: Heavy rain and thunderstorms finally arrive as country faces ‘incredible deluge’

The UK has been hit by thunderstorms and showers in the immediate aftermath of the scorching heatwave.

Downpours were seen, including in London and southwest England, after the country experienced days of sweltering temperatures and dry weather while a number of areas were in the throes of a drought.

Intense rain was forecast straight after the heatwave, when temperatures peaked in the mid-30Cs for days in a row.

A thunderstorm weather warning is also in place across much of the UK on Monday and Tuesday, as well as southern England on Wednesday.

But while the downpours may bring relief from the sweltering temperatures, scientists say they will do little to help the drought conditions.

Dan Stroud, a Met Office meteorologist, said: “It will help a little but to be honest really, it’s almost the wrong sort of rain. What we’re likely to see is some heavy, intense downpours.”

“With the ground baked so dry, it’s very difficult for the ground to actually absorb the water very quickly.”

Field have been left parched after months of sparse rainfall coupled with two heatwaves in short succession.

Hosepipe bans have also been introduced by a number of water companies looking to preserve resources.

The Met Office is warning the stormy weather could lead to power cuts and travel disruption in the coming days.

Areas that have been heavily hit by rain and flooding include Cornwall and Devon. The Met Office issued an amber thunderstorm warning for areas in the two regions, as well as Somerset.

Earlier today, a roundabout near the river in Truro, Cornwall quickly flooded with water as showers continued to pour.

Over in the Isle of Man, four homes were hit by a lightning strike overnight, which blew a hole in the roof of one of them, reported the BBC.

Melanie Smith, one of the homeowners, said the incident left her family “shell-shocked” and described the moment the strike hit as “like being bombed”.

Inverness in Scotland was also hit by heavy rain on Sunday, with photos and video shared on social media showing water leaking through the ceiling of a Vue cinema and flooding a Tesco store.

Thunderstorms also developed in east coast counties like Essex, Suffolk and Lincolnshire.