Met Office says UK faces 21 hours of heavy rain in days as 23 counties on alert

NewsUK NewsWeatherMultiple UK counties can expect heavy rain during a 21-hour spell of unsettled weather just days after the record-breaking heatwave, Met Office maps show20:59, 28 May 2026Britain's record-breaking heatwave is set to come to a crashing end with heavy rain forecast to sweep across the country over a 21-hour period.‌Met Office weather maps show downpours stretching across much of the UK, with 23 counties set to be hit at some point during the spell.‌Parts of London, Kent, Cornwall, Greater Manchester, Yorkshire and Scotland are among the areas forecast for up to 8mm of rain from Monday, June 1 at 1pm, with some areas facing downpours until 10am the next day.‌It comes just days after the UK recorded its hottest ever May day on record, with temperatures reaching 35.1C at Kew Gardens in London on Tuesday.Forecasters now expect the blistering sunshine to give way to a far more unsettled picture as bands of rain and showers move in early next week.‌"The widespread heatwave will gradually reduce in intensity in the coming days," with a transition to more unsettled and cooler weather for many, the Met Office said.The forecaster also warned of scattered showers and the possibility of a few thunderstorms as the pattern starts to shift.Chief Forecaster Chris Bulmer said: "We're now starting to see this spell of very hot weather break down.‌"While parts of the southeast could still reach highs of 32C on Thursday, many areas will begin to feel fresher conditions moving in through Friday and into the weekend as a weak cold front moves southeast and becomes more established across most of the UK by Saturday."As the heat starts to ease, the weather will also turn more changeable, with some showers and thunderstorms possible.‌"By the weekend, temperatures should be much closer to average for the time of year with accompanying rainfall for many through the weekend and into the start of next week."The Met Office says that from Monday, further spells of rain or showers are likely to move across the UK, but may be broken up with brighter intervals."Temperatures are expected to be closer to average than they have been in recent days," it adds.Article continues belowCounties set for heavy rain from 1pm on JunePembrokeshireCarmarthenshireCornwallDevonSomersetGreater ManchesterDorsetBristolBathYorkNorth YorkshireGloucestershireHampshireGreater LondonHertfordshireCambridgeshireGreater ManchesterLancashireKentDumfries and GallowayArgyll and BruteScottish HighlandsPerth and KinrossChoose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌HeatwaveWeatherBreaking News