Bank holiday weather: Met Office warns Brits heavy rain and thunderstorms loom

Bank holiday weather: Met Office warns Brits heavy rain and thunderstorms loom Brits will be hit by blustery thunderstorms following five back-to-back heatwaves over the summer with as many as 134 areas forecast to be completely soaked this weekend The Met Office has warned of a late summer washout with heavy rain and thunderstorms set to heap misery on Brits. Five near-consecutive heatwaves have seen temperatures threaten to hit 40C at various points but the summer will end with unsettled conditions. The rain will be welcome relief, though, as more than half of England alone is officially in drought. Now, the Met Office forecast some 134 areas could be soaked with rain this week as conditions take a turn. Later this week, millions of Brits can expect to be in the path of rain and thunder storms. In its long-range forecast, the Met says in a statement: "An unsettled start to this period, as showers or longer spells of rain are possible across many parts of the UK. Some heavy rain is likely, perhaps with some thunderstorms too. "It will likely remain changeable into early September, with rainfall amounts probably above average for the time year and the potential for some strong winds at times. However, some drier, more settled interludes could develop at times. "Temperatures are likely to be near average, although some short-lived warm or hot spells are possible, especially in the south." The Mirror is now in a position to pinpoint the weather forecast across the bank holiday weekend as forecasters have issued striking maps, which show blue and green hues across large swathes of the country - and this means rain is likely. Saturday, August 29 Thunderstorms are forecast to strike in West London and parts of the Home Counties on Saturday where as much as 4mm of rain could fall. Miserable conditions will also be felt in Birmingham and northern Wales where thunderstorms and similar rainfall is forecast, according to Ventusky. Weather maps for around 7pm also show thunderstorms in the Irish Sea and Isle of Man, where a hefty 8mm of rain is forecast. Northern Ireland will also feel the impact with between 4mm and 6mm falling on the region on Saturday. While much of northern England and Scotland will escape the worst of Saturday's rain and thunderstorms, Dumfries and Galloway and South Ayrshire will see lesser amounts of rainfall. Other areas of the country will remain mostly dry. Sunday, August 30 Conditions will worsen for many Brits on Sunday with more thunderstorms being forecast across England, Wales and some areas of Scotland. A band of thunderstorms will stretch from the Isle of Wight up toward the Midlands with pockets of lightning being predicted for Yorkshire, Northumbria as of 4pm on Sunday, Ventusky weather maps show. Some 0.5mm to 6mm of rain is forecast to fall across England in the late afternoon with similar amounts falling in Wales. The norther-western coast of Wales will experience some thunderstorms while the Scottish Borders and Edinburgh will also see much of the same. Fast forward three hours and Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and much of the North West of England will also find themselves under nasty thunderstorm clouds. Southern Wales will also be hit by lightning and rainfall. Meanwhile the Scottish borders will remain a hive of electrical activity. The majority of England and Wales will experience heavy rainfall averaging from 0.2mm in the South West, East Anglia and pockets of Kent and Essex while other regions could see as much as 4mm or 8mm.