Yellow thunderstorm warnings have been issued across the UK, with the Met Office warning of heavy downpours and flash flooding after weeks of extreme heat.

The warnings are set to come into place later on Wednesday, and cover large swathes of northern England, Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland.

The forecaster has warned that homes and businesses could be flooded and there may be disruption to transport services and power cuts.

It follows what is likely to be the hottest summer on record, with five heatwaves leaving 71.3 per cent of the country in drought.

Met Office data showed up to 23mm of rain fell in parts of central southern Lancashire in the 12 hours to 6am on Wednesday, with up to 13mm recorded in parts of Northern Ireland and between 6-10mm across south-west England.

In an online forecast, Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said Wednesday would be a “very showery day” across the UK, with Northern Ireland and areas in western and central Scotland seeing “frequent showers with heavy downpours, hail and thunder”.

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