In the next week, Britain will be soaked by up to 5mm of rain an hour in some parts and winds of up to 30mph. However, long-range forecasts suggest as high pressure slowly pushes northward from the Mediterranean Sea, drier weather could spread across the UK in mid-August.

From Tuesday to Thursday, parts of Britain will suffer wet spells, with the North East suffering the worst with up to 3mm of rain an hour on Wednesday.

And on Thursday, an Eastern front of rain and winds will push through Ireland and strike Wales, southwest England and southern parts of Scotland.

Parts of Wales will be lashed with 5mm of rain by 9am on Thursday, forecasts suggest, before pushing eastwards into the Midlands and southeast England by midday.

BBC Weather said, “low pressure will be in charge across northern Europe for the next few weeks, keeping the UK weather unsettled, wetter, and cooler than normal for late summertime”.

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In its long-range forecast for August 16 to August 29, they added: “As high pressure slowly pushes northward from the Mediterranean Sea, low pressure systems caught in the storm track and driven by the jet stream will be deflected northward too.

“Drier weather should spread in from the south, and this will also bring in a warmer, more tropical air mass to the UK.

“Temperatures should trend warmer than normal into late August, with some warm days possible if high pressure moves overhead for too long.”

But, the BBC did warn “confidence is low” a heatwave will develop later in the month, as “high pressure will need to move into the correct spot for this to pan out”.

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The Met Office’s forecast also said there were “current signals of a drier and warmer than average period from the middle of August”, but stormy weather is imminent.

They said: “A mixture of sunny spells and showers, with some drier interludes is the general pattern expected through the start of this period, as unsettled, changeable conditions continue to dominate.

“Some of these showery spells may merge to give slightly longer spells of rain, with some thunderstorms likely to develop from these.

“Torrential downpours are likely in some places. There is a risk of strong winds at times for some, and temperatures are expected to be below average, but perhaps slightly above average in northern areas.

“Through the remainder of this period, it will likely turn more settled, though a few showers cannot be ruled out, especially in southeastern areas.

“This will bring drier weather, with sunny spells for most through to mid-August, and temperatures trending closer to, perhaps above average.”