UK weather: New heavy rain warnings after thunderstorms and torrential downpours

Remnants of Hurricane Lee to bring ‘heavy and persistent’ rain

Britain faces more torrential downpours this week, the Met Office has warned, after thunderstorms brought devastating flash floods to some areas.

A two-day warning of heavy rain with potential for large hailstorms was issued for Wales and northwest England and will stay in place till Wednesday 6pm.

It came after parts of Devon and Somerset saw more than a month’s worth of rain on Sunday, triggering flooding that forced the closure of Exeter Airport and Butlins in Minehead.

Eleven flood warnings were still in place across the UK on Monday, affecting areas including the Cumbrian coastline, the River Cole in Swindon and the River Gwash in Ryhall and Newstead, Lincolnshire.

A yellow weather warning has been issued by the Met Office for Tuesday and Wednesday (Met Office)

On Tuesday, the unsettled weather is set to continue with a two-day yellow warning issued by the Met Office for heavy rain in Wales and northwest England, including Manchester, on Tuesday from 6am. The office said the flooding of homes and businesses was likely, and that bus and train services could be impacted.

Looking ahead, the office said: “Cloud and rain quickly spreading in from the west through the morning, though after a spell of rain drier with some bright spells for southern parts of the UK. Windy.”

And for the rest of the week, the office has forecast “unsettled and rather autumnal with changeable conditions”.

Inside a flooded Exeter Airport as staff and passengers wade through water in terminal (Justin Sharp/WEATHER TRAKER /TMX)

Exeter Airport reopened on Monday morning and urged travellers to check for status updates with their airlines.

An airport spokesperson said: “We are pleased to confirm that the airport is open today thanks to the hard work and determination of airport staff who worked through the night to clean up after yesterday’s flash floods. We look forward to welcoming passengers as usual.”

The Met Office said showers were “highly localised”, with the airport seeing 57.4mm of rainfall, while Swindon in Wiltshire received 90.7mm overnight. These showers have since shifted to areas in the East Midlands, with Nottingham and parts of Lincolnshire seeing 40-45mm of rainfall on Monday.

Conditions are expected to remain “blustery at times” this week, the Met Office warned, urging people to keep an eye on the forecast.

Storm waves batter the breakwater and lighthouse at Newhaven, East Sussex, on Monday (Getty)

Met Office meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey said more storms are possible as the remnants of Hurricane Lee, which hit New England in the US and eastern Canada, are set to move across the UK between Tuesday and Thursday.

It will no longer be a hurricane by the time it reaches UK shores.

Mr Vautrey said: “That will be getting picked up by the jet stream. Showers in places could be heavy with a risk of further thunderstorms. It could be quite an unsettled, autumnal week to come.”