The UK could be set for thunderstorms and heavy rain this week.
It’s been far from settled conditions across UK in recent days, with Greater Manchester and the North West receiving its fair share of heavy rain showers, but now the Met Office is predicting that warm air from the continent will drive temperatures up later this week, and with that comes the chance of thunderstorms.
A plume of warm air moving in from the south is set to drive a change to the weather later this week, weather forecasters predict.
While rain and showers across the northern half of the UK eased on on Monday night, leaving us with a drier day and spells of sunshine in the afternoon yesterday, things could be about to take a turn for the worst once this evening rolls around.
Heard there's a possibility of thunderstorms this week? ⛈️
These could begin arriving from Wednesday night into Thursday as a plume pushes in from the south
The Met Office does admit that today will be a ‘largely fine and dry day’ for much of the UK, with only certain parts appearing cloudy, the North West not included that, but as the evening begins to set in, so does the potential heavy and thundery showers, predicted to move in through the evening and overnight from the south west.
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Alarmingly, some western areas could see 20-40mm of rain fall in just a few hours as these intense downpours move through to the North East.
There could ‘frequent lightning’ for some areas too.
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Thunderstorms and ‘intense downpours’ are forecast to hit the UK from this evening / Credit: The Manc Group
While there are no severe weather warnings issued at the moment, it is possible thunderstorm warnings may be issued this week, the Met Office has hinted, so you may want to keep your eyes peeled.
“After largely benign weather early in the week, some intense, thundery showers will move in on Wednesday evening,” commented the Met Office’s Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Mike Silverstone.
“These thunderstorms are being triggered by some warm, humid air that is moving into the UK from the South, and intense rainfall could see 20-40mm accumulating over just a few hours, which could cause some disruption too.”
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This week the temperatures are rising and the humidity is building and from Wednesday we are going to see some thundery storms developing.
Find out all the details on this week's weather in our Week Ahead forecast with Alex Deakin 👇 pic.twitter.com/7P1bnQztFN
Think that’s the end of the thunderstorms for the week? Think again.
Once that batch moves North through Thursday, leaving more settled weather for a time through Friday for most, another band of thunderstorms moves in again later on Friday evening, apparently bringing ‘further intense rainfall’ into the early hours of Saturday.
By the end of the weekend though, it’s predicted that the ‘humid and thundery airmass’ will be displaced by ‘fresher’ and ‘generally more settled conditions’ spreading east across the UK.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
24-hour bus services are now running across all Greater Manchester boroughs
Emily Sergeant
24-hour bus services are now running across all boroughs in Greater Manchester.
You may remember that back in March, it was announced that every borough of Greater Manchester was set to get a night bus service in what is hoped to be a ‘boost’ to the night-time economy… and now it’s official, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has launched those 24-hour buses this month, along with a series of other measures.
Oldham, Stockport, Tameside, and Trafford now join the rest of Greater Manchester in having 24-hour bus services, meaning every part of the region will have a night bus operating Thursday through to Sunday.
It’s expected that these new services will help around 625,400 people working in the night-time economy across Greater Manchester, as well as those out enjoying the region’s nightlife, TfGM has said.
The routes which will run around the clock from Thursday until Sunday are:
50 (Salford – Manchester)
216 (Tameside – Manchester)
263 (Trafford – Manchester)
192 (Stockport – Manchester)
83 (Oldham – Manchester)
All Greater Manchester boroughs now have 24-hour bus services / Credit: TfGM
They launch alongside the most significant service changes to the Bee Network since the completion of bus franchising last year – including other new bus routes, and more frequent services across Greater Manchester.
“We want everyone to be able to enjoy everything Greater Manchester offers, without the worry of how to get there and get home,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor, Bev Craig.
“By growing the Bee Network, we’re making it easier than ever for people to use the bus, day and night.
“Our night buses are already providing a lifeline to some of the hundreds of thousands of people who are growing our night-time economy and working in essential public services.”
“Whether people are heading home from a night at the theatre or starting the early shift at a hospital, they can now get on board the night bus as a safe and affordable way to travel.”
Further improvements will delivered from January 2027, and a full breakdown by borough can be found on the Bee Network website here.
Emily Sergeant -
11th June 2025 
