UK weather: heavy rain and possible heatwave in ‘split’ forecast

The River Dee in Aberdeen, east Scotland. Temperatures in parts of western Scotland could reach the heatwave threshold. Photograph: Anastasia Yakovleva/Getty Images/iStockphoto

The weather across the UK could be split this week with heavy downpours in southern England and a heatwave in western Scotland, with the expected rainfall prompting a yellow warning from the Met Office.

Southern England will have “a spell of unsettled weather” that could include thunderstorms, lightning, strong winds and hail, while the worst affected areas may experience more than 50mm of rainfall within two hours.