Heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected in the UK and parts of Scotland today amid summer storms following in the wake of the nation's heatwave.

The Met Office has issued a weather warning covering most of the UK stretching until Thursday evening, with London expected to reach 33 degrees this afternoon. 

Forecasters say an area of heavy rain and thunderstorms is expected to move north across parts of Scotland this morning, with scattered storms expected for other parts of the country, and very hot weather expected for the south-east.

Following Monday's rainfall, the Environment Agency has issued four warnings for expected flooding in the north-west - two at Lancaster and two at Ulverston.

Five flood alerts - warning of possible flooding - are in place for Birmingham and surrounding districts.

Flood alerts have been issued for 19 locations in Scotland, with one also current for the Vyrnwy catchment area in Wales.

Some heavy showers and thunderstorms are expected for the north of England tonight, in what will be a warm night for most parts of the nation.

Wednesday is expected to be very hot again in the south.

The Environment Agency said it would update its flood warnings and alerts as the situation changes. Those wanting to keep up to date can check on the Gov.uk website, or social media, or through the Floodline service on 0345 988 1188.

The Met Office warned flash flooding could cause travel disruption and power cuts, but also cautioned about the risks caused by fast flowing or deep floodwater.

The current heatwave is nowhere near the infamous summer of 1976, one of the longest in living memory in the UK, when temperatures reached 32C or higher somewhere in the country for 15 consecutive days.