Storm and rain warnings after hottest day of year

More warnings for rain and thunderstorms have been issued for much of the UK after the hottest temperatures of the year so far were recorded over the weekend.

Storms have cleared Wales and Northern Ireland as the weekend draws to a close, but they are still affecting parts of northern England and Scotland.

People have been warned to expect some disruption, especially to travel.

The Met Office has also warned of possible flooding and power cuts.

The most intense storms have seen more than 20mm of rain in an hour – and have included some hail.

The thunderstorms are expected to drift northwards through the rest of Sunday evening, clearing Scotland before the end of the night.

Three yellow warnings for thunderstorms were issued for Sunday.

One covering most areas of the west of the UK, including the majority of Wales, warned of thunderstorms between 13:00 BST and 23:00.

A second for western parts of Scotland which started at 14:00 on Sunday will remain in place until 03:00 on Monday.

Separate rain warnings are in place for south-west England and south Wales from 08:00 on Monday throughout the day.

The alerts warn people of possible flooding and delays to bus and train services.

A similar warning for parts of Northern Ireland is in place from 12:00 on Monday until 06:00 on Tuesday.

Clouds rolling were set to affect the chances of seeing the Northern Lights, which are expected to make another appearance for a third consecutive night on Sunday.

Sunday was the warmest day of the year so far, the Met Office said, with 27.5C recorded in Chertsey, Surrey.

Temperatures will be dropping going into next week, BBC Weather presenter Simon King said.

"For the week ahead, it's going to be much more unsettled than the weather we've had over the last few days. Not quite as warm, with temperatures coming down into the mid to high teens for most of us," he said.

The Met Office forecast highs around 15 to 20C across the country on Monday.

It expects there will be further spells of rain through Tuesday and Wednesday, but with some periods of sunshine in between.