It never rains but it pours: Turbulent weather continues as the sunshine is replaced by rain

After a one day heatwave on Thursday, the sunshine could rapidly be replaced by a gloomier climate

It never rains but it pours: Britain could face a wetter climate over the next few days (Getty Images )

Summer looks set to continue in a turbulent fashion as the balmy weather is replaced by downpours of rain this afternoon, the Met Office has warned.

Localised flooding could hit areas in south west England and a moderate 'yellow warning' is now in place from 8pm this evening until 4pm on Monday. Between 20 and 40mm of rainfall is expected, although this could rise to 60mm in some southern parts.

A spokesperson for the Met Office said: "We've got some potentially heavy rain due in western parts today and tomorrow. We've already had reports of 12 .8 mm of rainfall falling in two hours across Pembrey Sands, in north west Wales, and this is just the initial band of rain pushing through into Wales and across north west england this evening.

"Then we have a sort of brief dry interlude before a second band of heavy and persistent rain pushes through into western parts."

It is not all doom and gloom, however.

The miserable weather is expected to clear by Monday evening in eastern parts of the country, to be replaced by a "much drier" few days, with longer, sunnier spells expected on Thursday, particularly across the south of England.

"On Tuesday we could see some slight showers in western and northern parts but otherwise it will be dry, with a little bit of a breeze," the spokesperson said.

August 1 saw Briton's clamouring over each other in an attempt to reach the nearest beach as thermometers hit 34C in some parts of England. July was a record month for heat, and the nation has enjoyed a hot summer rarely seen in the UK.