THUNDERSTORMS are set to break up the long spell of sweltering hot and dry weather in parts of England.
The Met Office has issued a yellow thunderstorm warning for 11am to 8pm today, putting the North West, as well as regions such as London and south-east England, South West, Wales and the West Midlands on notice of a risk of downpours.
It is only the second thunderstorm warning to be issued since the new alert was introduced last month and it states that heavy showers in some places could bring "around 20mm (0.8in) in an hour", while others will remain dry.
Met Office meteorologist Martin Bowles said those areas which could be heaviest hit include Wales and central southern England.
"You can get a lot of rain in a short time. You can get flooding issues with people driving on roads facing large puddles," he said.
In Bolton the sunny conditions are set to return by the weekend.
Tomorrow is likely to see broken cloud but Sunday should see long spells of sunshine with temperatures likely to soar to the high 20s again.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here