Britons are facing a tornado warning amid heavy rain, thunder and lightning following the driest start to spring in nearly six decades.
The Met Office has warned that a funnel cloud or brief tornado could hit southeast England on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, northern parts of the UK are enjoying fine, sunny weather.
Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said it was "not out of the question that we could see a funnel cloud, maybe even a brief tornado across parts of the South East" of England on Wednesday.
Britons are facing a tornado warning amid heavy rain, thunder and lightning following the driest start to spring in nearly six decades
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He noted there was a "bit of a North-South split in our weather through today".
"Northern parts having a lot of fine, sunny weather, meanwhile in the South we've seen some wet weather push its way in... and there will be further showery bursts to come as we go through the rest of today," he said.
Wednesday's showers follow the driest start to spring in nearly six decades.
As of Friday, 80.6mm of rain had been recorded for the UK in spring 2025, nearly 20mm less than the record low for the full season of 100.7mm set in 1852.
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The sudden downpours mark a significant shift from the unusually dry conditions that have dominated the season so far.
The Environment Agency is warning that the dry conditions could contribute to drought this summer if there continue to be long periods without rainfall.
However, the UK is set to return to more dry weather on Thursday, with only a few showers forecasted in the South West of England.
These will not be "as intense" as those throughout the UK today, Burkill said, with "a good amount of sunshine on offer" elsewhere.
Wednesday's showers follow the driest start to spring in nearly six decades
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Friday is due to be "mostly fine" but more wet and windy conditions are expected for the weekend.
Burkill described this week's wet spells as a "real change from what we've become used to so far this spring".
Residents in southeast England are advised to remain vigilant for potential tornado activity, whilst those in northern regions continue to enjoy fine weather before potential changes at the weekend.
