THE Met Office has issued a bad omen yellow weather warning for floods and “thundery downpours” – though much of Britain is set to bask in sunshine.
The wet and stormy front is pushing into South West England and southern Wales this morning posing a “danger to life” due to flooding.
If true, the forecast is a bad omen for weather this summer, according to the legend of St Swithin’s Day.
According to traditional folklore, the weather experienced on St Swithin’s Day (July 15) will continue for the next 40 days – meaning parts of the country could be in for a wet rest of the summer if superstition holds true.
The proverb of St Swithin says: “St Swithin’s Day if thou dost rain, for forty days it will remain, St Swithin’s Day if thou be fair, for forty days will rain na mair.”
However, it is expected to be a “drier start to the new week further north with some bright and sunny spells”, the Met Office added.
The morning commute will see highs of 14C on the south coast, but the likes of East Anglia are forecast to reach 21C by 11am.
The rain weather warning states: “Heavy rain will spread north across the sea during Monday.”
It is in place between 8am and 11.59pm on Monday ahead of forecast downpours of up to 40mm over the course of a few hours.
It spans Wales and parts of western England – including Cardiff, Bangor, Liverpool and Exeter.
The Met Office warned “torrential downpours” are likely, with 15-20mm of rainfall forecast in less than an hour in some places – and 30-40mm within three hours in others.
This may be accompanied by lightning throughout the day, the forecaster added.
There is a small chance some homes could be flooded or see power cuts and fast flowing or deep floodwater may also cause a danger to life.
Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and road closures, the Met Office said.
There is also a chance some train and bus services will be delayed or cancelled in affected areas.
The heavy rain is expected to spread north across the affected area during the day.
