The Met Office has issued fresh warnings for thunderstorms that will bring more wet weather to parts of the UK on Thursday.

The first warning is valid from 02:00 BST with thunder and heavy rain due to move across south-east England in the early hours of Thursday morning.

A second comes into force at 06:00 BST for a wider area of England and Wales. This will last through to 22:00 and may become slow moving in the afternoon and evening.

Downpours could bring localised flash flooding and travel disruption – with the wettest areas potentially seeing 75mm (3in) of rain. Large hail, lightning and gusty winds could accompany the showers and it will feel rather humid for many.

Spells of rain are set to continue over the weekend – a bank holiday for England, Wales and Northern Ireland – accompanied by windy conditions in the south.

Thursday morning will get off to a wet start in southern England and south Wales, with heavy downpours accompanied by lightning, hail and squally winds.

These will then move north across mid and north Wales, the Midlands and parts of eastern England, arriving in northern England during the early afternoon.

As this initial line of downpours clears northwards the skies will brighten and sunny spells will develop, but further scattered showers that could again be very heavy and thundery are possible.

Some rain is likely to arrive in Northern Ireland and Scotland later in the day, although these northern areas of the UK are likely to avoid the very wettest weather.

Within the Met Office yellow warning area, 20-30mm (0.8-1.2in) of rain could fall in just a few hours, with up to 50mm (2in) over a 12-hour period.

Hills exposed to the easterly wind could possibly see 75mm (3in).

Hazardous driving conditions are expected with a chance that roads will be closed and communities cut off.

Lightning strikes could lead to power cuts, and hailstones of 1-2cm (0.4-0.8in) are also possible.

The wet weather will be welcome news for the large areas of England and Wales that remain in drought, however there is the increased risk of flash flooding where the ground is very dry and hard.

Not enough rain will fall to alleviate the recent dry spell, with experts warning that months of persistent wet weather is needed to replenish water supplies.

The coming weekend brings a number of festivals and high-profile events.

Reading and Leeds Festivals both run from Thursday until Sunday, as does Creamfields in Cheshire.

Manchester Pride takes place from Friday until Bank Holiday Monday, while Saturday marks the start of Notting Hill Carnival in London, which also continues until Monday.

The weather looks decidedly mixed for these events, with a fresher feel, brisk winds – especially in the south – and the likelihood of rain at times.

A zone of wet weather will move eastwards across England and Wales on Saturday, although drier and brighter conditions may spread from the west later. Northern Ireland and Scotland will be a little drier with some sunny spells, but there is still the chance of a few showers.

More heavy showers will move eastwards on Sunday, this time affecting most parts of the UK. Some of these could be heavy and thundery, with wind gusts touching 40-45mph (64-72km/h) in the far south-west of England later.

Temperatures will tend to range from 16C (61F) in northern Scotland to 23C (73F) in southern England, which is about normal for late August.

Low pressure remains in charge on Monday meaning strong winds and further showers, perhaps heaviest across the north of the UK.

There is no sign of a return to the dry and hot weather that has dominated this summer.

Whatever your plans for the weekend, you can keep up to date with the forecast by checking the BBC Weather website and app.