UK weather forecast: Glastonbury braces for thunderstorms while the north is set for highs of 30C

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for the south of England which could make it a muddy day in Glastonbury while the north could see sun and 30C highs

Music lovers could face heavy rain and even hail in Glastonbury today if a thunderstorm warning is in place.

Brits have enjoyed several days of hot weather and it’s likely to get even more unsettled, particularly for the south of the UK.

The best temperatures are likely to be in the north of England today, where the worst of the rain is unlikely, and mercury could rise as high as 30C, the Met Office said.

But southern England has a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms running from 10am to midnight.

The Met Bureau states, “Thunderstorms and torrential downpours may cause travel disruptions and flooding in some locations.”

It continued: “There is a small chance that homes and businesses will be flooded quickly and some buildings will be damaged by flood water, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds.

“There is a small chance that fast-flowing or deep flood water will cause life-threatening danger. In the event of flooding or lightning strikes, there is a possibility of delays and some cancellations of train and bus services.

“Spray and sudden flooding could cause difficult driving conditions and some road closures. There is a small chance that power outages will occur and other services will be disrupted for some homes and businesses. There is a small possibility that some communities will be cut off by the flooded roads.”

It’s bad news for revelers who have so far been enjoying the sunny weather in Glastonbury and although heavy rain was forecast earlier in the week it has fallen faster than expected.

The five-day music event, returning for the first time in three years, is expected to draw around 200,000 people a day to Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, from Wednesday to Sunday.

Headliners include Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, The Petshop Boys and Sir Paul McCartney, while other well-known bands such as McFly and the Sugababes will also perform on the various stages to celebrate the event’s 50th anniversary.

Wellington boots and raincoats come in handy when thunderstorms have a “hit and miss” probability of arriving.

Met Office forecaster Alex Deakin: “The likelihood of some thunderstorms breaking out is by no means universal, but we have a Met Office yellow warning covering a large part of England and Wales for those thunderstorms throughout the day.

“Not everywhere in that yellow area are going to see those downpours, that’s just the area where there’s a risk, there’s always going to be hits and misses, those kinds of summer showers, but where we see them there’s going to be a lot Rain in a short time, large hailstones, gusty winds and lightning will also pose an additional danger.

UK forecast for the next 5 days

Showers and thunderstorms for parts of England and Wales today.

Today:

Initially fine and dry in most areas, many parts then with warm sunny spells. However, showers and thunderstorms are likely to break out over parts of England and Wales this afternoon, causing some heavy downpours.

This evening:

Early evening showers and thunderstorms over parts of England and Wales moving north, mostly confined to parts of eastern Scotland until dawn. Warmer than last night.

Friday:

Sunny intervals but also some showers for many areas. Heaviest showers likely over Scotland, Northern England and the far South West. Airy and cooler than today in the south and west.

Outlook for Saturday to Monday:

Rain in the North West and showers elsewhere this weekend, heavy in places. Windy in the northwest. Scattered showers on Monday but many places will dry out before rain later reaches the west.