LARGE parts of the UK are due to be hit by thunderstorms in hours as temperatures are expected to hit 25C.
Today will be fine and warm once the low cloud has cleared away, according to the Met Office, but it has issued yellow weather warnings for thunderstorms on Sunday.
The first covers central and western parts of Northern Ireland with the warning in place from 11am until 7pm on Sunday.
In the latest update it said: “Heavy showers and isolated thunderstorms may develop across western Northern Ireland.”
Heavy showers and isolated thunderstorms are predicted along with a “small chance” of flooding.
Meanwhile a second warning starts at midday and lasts until 10pm.
This covers most parts of western England, the vast majority of Wales and stretches down to the southern coast.
The warning states: “Heavy showers and thunderstorms could lead to some disruption in places, especially to travel. Isolated property flooding is possible.”
Later on Saturday, the Met Office also issued a third yellow weather warning for thunderstorms which covers a large chunk of Scotland.
The latest warning is in place from 2pm on Sunday and is ongoing until 4am on Monday.
It says: “Heavy downpours may lead to some surface water flooding.”
The warning covers western and mostly all of central Scotland.
Today though, fog patches and low cloud first thing will soon clear away, leaving a fine and very warm day.
Coastal parts could see some mist return as the day goes on.
Some parts could see scattered showers in the afternoon and there is a possibility of isolated thunderstorms across Scotland, mostly over higher ground.
Temperatures could hit 25C later today.
It will remain dry this evening in most parts and any showers in Scotland will clear away.
Overnight, most areas will remain mild and it will stay dry with clear spells although there is a possibility of some fog patches appearing.
Sunday will also see sunny spells across the country though there is an increasing risk of heavy showers and thunderstorms in the north and west as the day continues, as an area of low pressure moves into the southwest.
It will feel very warm and humid.
For the early part of the working week, conditions are predicted to become unsettled as low pressure moves in from the Atlantic.
Rain and lower temperatures moving in for Monday, with further rain and heavy showers for Tuesday and Wednesday.
It comes after many Brits were treated to a spectacular display of the Northern Lights, thanks to a violent solar storm.
Deputy Chief Meteorologist Dan Harris said: “Heavy showers and thunderstorms are likely to break out on Sunday morning, most likely across southwest England and Wales, but possibly also across western Northern Ireland too.
“They’ll track steadily north through the afternoon whilst probably growing into larger clumps of rain before clearing Scotland overnight.
“Some intense downpours are possible in a few places, giving up to 30mm in less than hour and perhaps 40-50mm over two to three hours.
“Hail, frequent lightning strikes and strong wind gusts will be additional localised hazards.”
The UK's long term weather forecast
May 15 to May 24
Low pressure is expected to dominate across the UK at the beginning of this period, bringing widely unsettled conditions, the Met Office says.
Most areas will be hit by showers, which could in a few places be heavy, slow-moving, with thunder and possibly hail, or even longer spells of rain at first.
Winds will mostly be light and temperatures are expected to hover a little above average for the time of year.
Heading into next weekend and beyond confidence drops significantly, but on balance the weather is more likely to turn a little less unsettled, with a greater chance of longer drier interludes between further rain or showers.
Temperatures overall most likely to be a little above average but the chances of any prolonged settled, dry or hot weather are lower than normal.
The lights, also known as Aurora Borealis, were spotted in Whitley Bay on the north east coast, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Wokingham in Berkshire.
They were also spotted in Suffolk, Kent, Hampshire and Liverpool.
The sightings reached as far as Ireland, with the Irish weather service Met Eireann posting images of the lights in Dublin and at Shannon Airport in Co Clare.
The visibility of the Northern Lights was increased on Friday because of an “extreme” geomagnetic storm, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The NOAA said the G5 geomagnetic storm, which is considered extreme and is the strongest level of geomagnetic storm, hit earth on Thursday and could affect communications, GPS and power grids.
The cause of this storm is a “large, complex” sunspot cluster and is 17 times the diameter of earth, with the last storm with a G5 rating hitting earth in October 2003, causing power outages in Sweden.
