Met Office weather maps show exact date heavy rain and thunderstorms to sweep across UK

Met Office weather maps have revealed which day this week heavy rain and thunderstorms are set to sweep across the UK.

Many areas are currently enjoying a brief spell of pleasant weather after a rather wet and chilly start to the summer. However, forecasters are predicting the wet weather will return to the UK towards the end of this week.

According to the latest forecast there will be "outbreaks of rain for many on Thursday", with scattered showers to follow on Friday and Saturday. Temperatures are set to remain in the high teens or low 20s, however, and there could still be some sunny spells for many.

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The Met Office rainfall map shows a band of rain moving in from the west of the UK on Thursday morning, first hitting Wales and the south west of England before sweeping across the majority of south and central England. By lunchtime, parts of the southern coast could see as much as 16mm of rainfall an hour.

At around 4pm, the southeast of England is likely to see the heaviest rainfall, with parts of Essex expecting more than 32mm of rainfall an hour. By the evening, the band of rain should have moved eastwards past the UK, clearing the way for a relatively dry night.

The weekend could see further rain and thunderstorms hit the UK, with temperatures dropping below average as the weekend gets underway. By Sunday drier weather is likely to develop, according to the Met Office, with spells of sunshine across most parts and temperatures close to normal.

Showers and longer spells of rain, some of which could be heavy and thundery, are then expected next week. "Regional details are uncertain, but the wettest weather