CALM BEFORE THE STORM

THIS glorious sunrise casts a dramatic glow over the countryside yesterday – but it looks like being a false dawn.

The striking image over Glastonbury Tor in Somerset is good enough to raise anyone’s spirits.

But it could be a case of the calm before the storm, with heavy showers and thunder set to strike over the next few days.

There have already been signs of more miserable weather coming, with ominous dark clouds gathering over the West Pier in Brighton, above inset.

Forecasters said there could be flash flooding across parts of Britain as the unsettled weather continues.

Experts are warning there could be up to four inches of rain in some places, with the potential for up to an inch falling in the space of an hour.

The Met Office has issued yellow warnings for thunderstorms across much of Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England and North Wales from the early hours of today until the end of tomorrow.

Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said: “We have a very unsettled weekend in prospect, with a lot of it covered by a thunderstorm and rain warnings.

“We have got an area of low pressure which will be milling around over the UK, bringing rain to large parts.

“So I think everywhere can expect to see quite heavy showers. We know the footprint of where we think the heaviest rainfall will be, but it’s like a boiling saucepan – you will get bubbles coming up, and trying to pinpoint where the next bubble will be is virtually impossible.”

Next week, forecasters predict the weather will remain unsettled, with the chance of several one-off calmer days.

Warmer weather is set to return in late August.