NewsUK NewsWeatherHeavy rain is set to batter much of England early next week as the May heatwave comes to a wet end with some torrential downpours forecast15:16, 30 May 2026England's glorious sunshine and record-breaking temperatures are set for an abrupt halt at the start of next week with heavy rain forecast to sweep across dozens of counties.‌Met Office weather maps show heavy downpours are predicted for most of the UK over a 30-hour period, first hitting Wales before spreading across England where 34 counties are for a drenching.‌From Monday (June 1) at 1pm, rainfall is set to sweep across England, stretching well into Tuesday night at around 7pm before it's forecast to clear, and affecting the vast majority of the country.‌The warning comes just days after the UK recorded its hottest ever May day on record, with temperatures reaching a scorching 35.1C in Kew Gardens, London, on Tuesday.The Met Office's long range forecast up until Wednesday (June 3) paints a very different picture, with the meteorological summer starting on an unsettled note. Spells of rain on Monday could well be followed by more heavy and thundery showers on Tuesday.‌"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.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.Article continues below"Temperatures are expected to be closer to average than they have been in recent days," it adds.Counties set for heavy rain from 1pm on June 1 to 7pm on June 2WiltshireShropshireMerseysideCheshireGreater ManchesterLancashireCumbriaNorth YorkshireWest YorkshireEast Riding of YorkshireDerbyshireWorcestershireWarwickshireOxfordshireGloucestershireHerefordshireSomersetDorsetDevonCornwallBristolNorthumberlandEast SussexHampshireKentEssexBerkshireSurreyBuckinghamshireCambridgeshireStaffordshireWest SussexSuffolkNorfolkChoose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌Met OfficeWeather