UK weather: Met Office issues heavy rain warning - with chance of 8cm in six hours

Heavy rain warnings have been issued for parts of western England, Wales and Northern Ireland - with the chance some places could get as much as 8cm in six hours.

The first Met Office alert is in force from 6pm on Tuesday until noon on Wednesday and forecasters say some roads and properties could be flooded.

It covers a swathe of the UK from the Manchester and Liverpool area, through Wales and parts of the Midlands, to the South West.

The rain is expected to develop in southern areas before expanding northwards late on Tuesday and into Wednesday.

"Many places will see around 10-20mm (0.39in - 0.79in) of rain, but there is a chance some locations may see considerably more than this over a six-hour period, most likely parts of southwest England and south Wales," the Met Office said.

"A few places may see 50-80mm (1.97in - 3.15in) of rain fall in six hours. Isolated thunderstorms are also possible in the south of the warning area, with lightning an additional hazard."

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A second heavy rain alert is in force around Newry and Armagh in Northern Ireland from midnight until 6am on Wednesday.

About 2-3cm of rain is widely expected, while some high ground - particularly in the Mourne Mountains - could get 5-8cm, according to the Met Office.

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Despite the downpours, UK temperatures over the next few days are forecast to be above average for the time of year.

East Anglia and the Home Counties could reach 22C (71.6F) and most regions are projected to have temperatures in the mid-teens on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

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