Large parts of England and Wales are facing thunderstorms and torrential rain on Thursday, with a yellow weather warning in place as temperatures continue to fall.
The unsettled conditions come after a run of hot weather, although forecasters say another spell of summer-like temperatures could return in September.
The threat of flash flooding and travel disruption remains, with some areas potentially seeing up to 75mm of rain.
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health
Wild swimming brings higher risk of stomach bugs and rashes
Five hundred public swimming pools have been shut since 2010, with the pace of closures accelerating (Photo: Alastair Fyfe/Getty)
Wild swimming has been linked to a higher risk of stomach bugs and skin rashes, a study has found.
Wild swimmers in Hungary were more than twice as likely to develop skin problems and were at a higher risk of contracting a stomach bug in water with higher concentrations of E. coli and other bacteria linked to faecal pollution.
What did the study find?
2,368 people at two rivers and two lake-like bathing sites in Hungary were studied.
Participants either spent 10 minutes in the water, immersing their face at least three times, or remained on the shore.
Water was sampled throughout the trials and participants were questioned a week later.
About 2.1 per cent of swimmers reported gastrointestinal illness, including diarrhoea, vomiting or nausea accompanied by fever, compared with 1.9 per cent of non-swimmers.
A rash, ulcer or itching was reported by 2.7 per cent of swimmers and 1.3 per cent of non-swimmers.
What are the study’s implications?
The findings raise questions about the World Health Organisation’s decision to drop E coli as a recommended indicator of pollution in freshwater bathing sites. The body’s latest guidelines advise monitoring enterococci but not E. coli, yet the study found the latter is the only one associated with increased risk.
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Caption: MOSCOW, RUSSIA – AUGUST 18: Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing (not pictured) during their meeting at Kremlin on August 18, 2026 in Moscow, Russia. Fresh off a five-year military deal, Min Aung Hlaing is meeting Vladimir Putin for talks on further economic and security cooperation. (Photo by Contributor/Getty Images)
Photographer: Contributor
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images Europe
Copyright: 2026 Contributor#8523328
WORLD
What would happen if Russia attacks Europe
Tensions are soaring between Russia and the UK, with the Kremlin threatening to bomb British military bases over support for Ukraine. A US intelligence report earlier this month warned that Russia could attack a Nato country within weeks, with the window of threat spanning until 2029.
The early stages of an attack
If Russia decides to directly attack Nato territory, it would most likely begin laying the groundwork with surveillance and reconnaissance missions, the movement of special forces into the area, or setting up a political or diplomatic scenario to justify the occupation of territory.
One possible site for an attack is the Svalbard archipelago, a group of Norwegian islands in the High North which are undefended and already have a Russian presence for mining.
Where else could be hit?
Another possible target for a Russian attack is the Aland islands, another undefended group of islands in the Baltic Sea which are close to Estonia, Sweden and Finland.
There are also concerns Russia may try to seize the Swedish island of Gotland, or may decide to launch another land invasion in Eastern Europe. Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia or Poland are all possible targets.
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What happens if Russia attacks
During his campaign to become MP, Andy Burnham had said £39bn should be spent on council housing (Photo: Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu)
An emergency Cobra meeting would be called and Nato members would discuss their response.
The UK would be expected to deploy troops and capabilities. European countries could be hit by cyber attacks.
Caption: File photo first issued 06/11/25 by the Ministry of Defence of an AJAX Armoured Fighting Vehicle (AFV). MPs have questioned whether the Army’s troubled ?6.3 billion Ajax light tank will ever be fit for use in combat. Issue date: Sunday June 7, 2026. PA Photo. The project has been dogged by concerns about the impact of noise and vibration on the crew and the Public Accounts Committee warned there were “unrealistic expectations” about how soldiers will be able to safely operate the armoured vehicle in a war zone. The MPs on the Commons spending watchdog also criticised the delays in Sir Keir Starmer’s government publishing its defence investment plan (Dip), which was originally due last year but may now not be published until July. Photo credit should read: Andrew Linnett/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Photographer: Andrew Linnett
Provider: Andrew Linnett/PA Wire
Source: PA
Caption: Pictured are the Shore Reconnaissance Team (SRT) from 30 Commando?s Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron (SRS) conducting beach surveys and live firing during Winter Deployment 22.
SRT carried out a covert swim insertion from ship to shore utilising the Inflatable Raiding Craft (IRC) to carry out critical beach reconnaissance deep inside the Arctic Circle.
The team then conducted live break contact drills once ashore on the beaches of Ramsund. These drills enable the small teams to disengage rapidly from enemy forces and regain their covert posture.
Royal Marines have deployed to Northern Norway to carry out their annual winter deployment in the Arctic Circle. Commandos will refresh skills in surviving, moving, and fighting across the ice.
This year, Royal Navy ships will join Royal Marines for the large-scale NATO exercise Cold Response 22. This takes place in March and April with 28 nations and a total of 35,000 troops already committed to attending the exercise.
Photographer: PO Phot Ethell
Provider: UK MOD Crown copyright
Source: Royal Navy
Copyright: UK MOD ? Crown copyright 2022
Troops from across Europe could be mobilised to the site of the attack, with some still arriving weeks later.
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HEALTH
Rise in salmonella cases linked to eggs
Caption: Fresh brown eggs in a white bowl and on a linen napkin. The overall composition looks very natural and cozy thanks to the wooden background and soft lighting.
Photographer: SimpleImages
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Moment RF
Cases of salmonella linked to imported eggs have risen, according to the UK Health Security Agency.
Reported cases have risen from 207 to 259 in the past week. One person has also died due to an outbreak linked to imported eggs.
What should people do?
Babies, young children, pregnant women and older people should only eat thoroughly cooked eggs in restaurants. Runny eggs can be eaten by these groups if they carry the British Lion mark or are produced under the Laid in Britain scheme.
There is no evidence eggs produced in the UK are affected and risk to the public is low.
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What are the symptoms of salmonella?
Salmonella infection typically causes diarrhoea, stomach cramps, vomiting and fever for a short period in most people.
However, it can lead to more serious illness, including sepsis requiring hospital admission, particularly in those who are more vulnerable to infection.
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Downpours could also bring large hail, lightning and gusty winds, creating difficult conditions for motorists and commuters.
Humidity will remain high, with the Met Office forecasting levels of up to 96 per cent in Birmingham on Thursday.
Conditions should become less humid across much of the UK on Friday before humidity rises again in the evening and remains high over the weekend.
Many parts of southern England are expected to get some heavy rain fall with some areas experiencing some flooding. (Photo: James Linsell Clark/SWNS)
High humidity in warm weather makes it harder for the body to sweat and cool down, making it feel warmer than the temperature says.
The heavy rain and thunderstorms will then move northward, with spells of rain set to continue over the weekend and windy conditions in the south.
Where the yellow warning is in place
A yellow weather warning for thunderstorms is in force until 10pm on Thursday across much of the Midlands, all of Wales, eastern England and parts of the north. London, Hull, Bristol and Canterbury are among the areas covered by the alert.
The Met Office said the storms could bring travel disruption, flooded roads potentially cutting off communities, damage to buildings and power cuts.
A yellow weather warning for thunderstorms is in force across much of England (Photo: Met Office)
A further yellow weather warning for thunderstorms covering parts of eastern England, stretching roughly from Hull to Canterbury, will run from 5pm on Thursday until 7am on Friday.
The forecaster urged people in areas at risk of flooding to check whether they could be affected and, where necessary, prepare a flood plan and emergency kit.
The Met Office has warned of flooding and travel disruptions from the heavy rain and storms (Photo: James Linsell Clark/SWNS)
El Niño brings wetter and stormier conditions
The climate phenomenon known as El Niño is set to keep stormy weather going into autumn and winter.
El Niño is the biggest fluctuation in the world’s climate system and this one will see the Pacific Ocean’s surface temperature rise by 3°C, according to the Met Office’s forecasts, classifying the event as a “super El Niño”.
A “super El Niño” is defined as tropical Pacific Ocean surface temperatures reaching 1.5-2°C or more above average, prompting experts to predict this year’s event as the strongest in living memory.
Its effects vary worldwide, including impacts on hurricane season in the Caribbean and the monsoon season in Asia.
Because of the UK’s distance from the Pacific, its impact is less predictable, but wetter, stormier conditions can be expected.
Will there be another heatwave?
Despite the impending lower temperatures, a heatwave could return in September.
The Met Office’s long-range forecast predicts that the UK will experience “drier and more settled interludes,” especially in the south, with temperatures likely to be near average, though “some short-lived warm or very warm spells are possible” from 31 August to 9 September.
Then from 10 September to 24 September, it forecasts drier weather and the possibility of warmer weather, with a chance of hot spells in the south.
But the forecaster has not given a definitive view on whether there will be a heatwave.