Thunderstorm warning as Met Office forecast heavy rain to batter UK

Britain’s summer is off to a stormy start despite marking the sunniest and warmest spring on record.

The Met Office has forecasted blustery showers and heavy rain with occasional hail and thunder from the start of June.

While temperatures look to remain mild and balmy at in the mid- to high-teens, it’s a marked difference from the sky-high temperatures of May, after the month started with peaks of 29.3C in London. Scotland will see 13C on Thursday, while further south in England, London will experience temperatures of 19C.

Meteorologist Clare Nasir said there would be “more wet weather on its way into the early hours of Thursday morning”, adding that “the rain then gradually tracks towards eastern counties through the morning. A stronger wind, particularly across channel coasts and some showers to follow.”

She said: “This band of rain will mean some wet weather through the first part of Thursday.”

The forecaster warned that hail and thunder are possible over the weekend as well while the weather remains wet.

The latest downpour comes as Britain marked record-breaking weather for April and May, with the Met Office declaring the warmest and sunniest spring on UK record on Monday.

All across the UK, the Met Office marked the warmest spring for mean temperatures since the series began in 1884, surpassing the previous record from 2024. Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales also saw their sunniest spring on record, while England recorded its second sunniest spring since records began in 1910.

Spring 2025 has been classed as the fourth sunniest season overall for the UK, with only three summers sunnier since records began.

The Met Office put the unusual spring weather down to persistent high-pressure systems originating from mainland Europe, which have blocked the usual flow of Atlantic weather fronts.

Met Office scientist Emily Carlisle said: “The UK’s climate continues to change. What’s particularly notable about spring 2025 is the combination of record warmth and sunshine, alongside very low rainfall.

“This spring shows some of the changes we’re seeing in our weather patterns, with more extreme conditions, including prolonged dry, sunny weather, becoming more frequent. The data clearly shows that recent decades have been warmer, sunnier, and often drier than the 20th century average, although natural variation will continue to play a role in the UK’s weather.”

Wednesday:

Sunny spells and showers for many, these locally heavy and frequent in the north. Showers forming into bands across Northern Ireland, southern Scotland, and northern England. Breezy for all, with coastal gales in northwest Scotland at first. Feeling cool.

Blustery showers continue to affect the north of the country tonight. Dry with clear spells elsewhere, but thicker cloud and outbreaks of rain arriving from the west later.

Thursday:

Rain, heavy in places will push eastwards during the day, clearing by mid afternoon. Sunny spells and showers, already affecting Scotland will follow for all. Rather breezy.

Friday to Sunday:

Staying changeable with sunny spells and showers on Friday. Heavier and more frequent showers on Saturday, with hail and thunder possible. Drier on Sunday. Often breezy and feeling rather cool.

Body found in search for British man who vanished on Portugal stag

A body has been found in Portugal during the search for missing Scottish tourist Greg Monks, according to a report.

The body was seen at the bottom of a ravine “a long way from the spot where he was last seen”, according to Portuguese daily newspaper Correi da Manha. Portugal’s Policia Judiciara are currently at the scene, according to the outlet.

The 38-year-old Glaswegian went missing last Wednesday after travelling to Albufeira with his friends for a stag do.

Police have yet to comment and the body has not been formally identified. Correi da Manha reports that all scenarios are open and the possibility of an accident has not been ruled out.

Mr Monks told his friends he was heading back to his holiday apartment after drinking on a night out, according to The Sun. The last official sighting of him was at 3:27am on Wednesday 28 May near Cerro de Aguia area.

His sister Jillian, told Sky News after his disappearance: “We were contacted on Wednesday afternoon asking if there was any way we could track his phone because he hadn’t come home from the night before.

“This immediately raised alarm bells. It’s just not like him. He wouldn’t normally do something like this.”

When the family arrived in Albufeira, police told them they had seen Mr Monks on CCTV footage twice around the residential area, Jillian said.

The 38-year-old had last been seen in an area with a lot of “rough terrain”, including rocky outcrops and cliffs. It was more than an hours walk from the Albufeira Strip, where he is believed to have left his friends.

“He deserves to be found, he deserves to be looked for, we need him home.

“He’s a big part of our family, and it’s just unimaginable if he’s just lying somewhere and we can’t find him.”

“As a family, we’re worried sick,” his other sister, Carlyn, said. “It’s just so unlike him, but myself and Jillian are just trying to hold each other up back home.

Mr Monks is “a real family man”, she said. Jillian added: “I know that if he could phone us or reach out to us, he would, he wouldn’t put us through this”.