Thunderstorms and heavy rain sweep parts of UK

Thunderstorms moved in across southern England in the early hours of Saturday morning

Thunderstorms and heavy showers have hit parts of the UK, as "unsettled" weather is expected to continue throughout the weekend.

A yellow weather warning is in place for much of southern England and Wales, with Cornwall experiencing the brunt of the storms.

The Met Office said that the county in south-west England had seen most of the thunderstorms on Saturday. Large hail and lightning has been reported in the region.

By Sunday, more heavy rain is forecast to spread - bringing a continued risk of localised flooding and travel disruption.

Met Office yellow warnings in force over the weekend for thunderstorms and rain

The weather warning, which covers Wales, south-west England, the Midlands and parts of south-east England, is in place until midnight on Sunday.

Met Office meteorologist Becky Mitchell said there was "probably quite a lot of water on the road" in Cornwall - with about 30mm (1.2in) of rainfall reported in the area - which could lead to "tricky driving conditions".

She said there had also been heavy showers across Wales and London, while Surrey and Oxfordshire had seen thunder strikes on Saturday morning.

Ms Mitchell added that there was the potential for more "widespread" thunderstorms into the afternoon, triggered by higher temperatures.

Further heavy showers, accompanied by hail, are expected across parts of Wales and southern England, with the possibility of 50-80mm (2-3.2in) of rain.

Thundery downpours

On Friday and into the early hours of Saturday, around 8,000 lightning strikes were recorded across southern England.

Intense downpours brought some localised flash flooding.

Damage was also reported in Hampshire where the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation confirmed that a tornado had ripped through Aldershot.

Further thunderstorms on Saturday could bring similar conditions, while gusty winds and hail may accompany the downpours with the possibility of local flash-flooding.

Ms Mitchell said the weather is expected to remain "unsettled" into next week, with the potential for some localised flooding.

Heavy showers and storms will continue through the night into Sunday, when there is another Met Office yellow warning for rain in place for the whole day.

Not everywhere will experience bad weather, however.

Throughout the weekend and into early next week, Scotland, Northern Ireland and areas around the Irish Sea are expected to experience drier and calmer conditions.

There will be plenty of sunshine and pleasant temperatures. However, make the most of it, as it will not be long before the autumn chill arrives.

A weather warning for rain will come into force on Sunday for Wales and central south-west England before another comes into effect on Monday, stretching to cover areas further east and further north as well.

There will be some sunny spells over the next few days, especially in northern and western parts of the UK

Autumn equinox and beyond

With the autumn equinox on Sunday - 22 September - it seems that Mother Nature has decided to end summer right on cue.

A change of wardrobe is inevitable for all of us next week. As the winds eventually swing from the north, cooler air will move in as low pressure systems bring widespread cloud and rain.

Daytime temperatures will typically range from 12C in Scotland to perhaps 16C along the England Channel coast. By mid-week, there is a risk of gales and even colder northerly winds.

However, it is entirely possible that an occasional spell of warmer weather may appear during October, which has historically even brought the odd hot spell.

Keep up with our latest thoughts on the coming weeks with our monthly outlook.