When will it rain today? How to check what time it’s going to rain in my UK location and Met Office radar map

The UK is currently experiencing one of the hottest summers in living memory.

The seemingly endless days of heat and a lack of rainfall has led to a drought being declared in various areas across the country, and hosepipe bans being brought in to try to preserve the water we have.

Rivers and reservoirs across the UK have much lower levels of water than at this time of year, and it will only be when it rains again that water levels begin to be restored.

So, just when can you expect it to rain again, how can you track the predicted rainfall in your local area, and how much will it rain?

Here’s everything you need to know.

Will it rain today in the UK?

Yes, rain is forecast across the UK today, (Wednesday 17 August).

There will be heavy showers and thunderstorms affecting southern and southeast England, though some warm sunny spells are also likely.

It will be cooler and cloudier for some central and eastern parts, with rain dying out, and mostly dry and fine in the northwest.

It’s expected to rain as far south as London and Cardiff, and also as far north as Edinburgh and Inverness, as well as hitting Belfast.

Experts also say that showers may merge into longer spells of heavy rain at times.

The Met Office forecast states that this evening there will be thunderstorms in the southeast which will slowly dye out.

Most parts of the country will be dry with clear spells, turning chilly in places. Cloud and rain will reach the far northwest later.

What time will it rain this week?

What time it will rain this week depends on what area of the UK you live in.

The majority of the rain which has been forecast is expected to fall between Monday 15 August and Wednesday 17 August, however.

A few showers in the far southeast are predicted for Thursday 18 August, but much of the rest of England will be dry with sunny spells.

It will be warm in the southeast, and the rain in the northwest moving slowly eastwards.

Where will the worst of the rain hit?

The north is expected to be worst hit by the rain.

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for thunderstorms, however, across different areas in both the north and south of the country.

The warning began at midnight on Monday 15 August and will remain in place until 11.59pm on Wednesday 17 August.

The weather warning is in place for:

• Central Scotland 
• Tayside and Fife
• Grampian
• Highlands and Eilean Siar
• Northern Ireland
• SW Scotland
• Lothian Borders
• Strathclyde
• East Midlands
• East of England
• London and South East England
• North East England
• North West England
• South West England
• Wales
• West Midlands
• Yorkshire and Humber

How can I use the rain radar map to tell if it will rain in my area today?

You can visit the Met Office website to find out a more detailed forecast for your area.

The Met Office provides a daily rainfall forecast which provides hourly updates on where rain is expected today and tomorrow.

There’s also a rainfall map showing you where in the country it will rain today.

The map can also be used to determine whether the rain today or tomorrow will be persistent or more intermittent.

You can view the Met Office rainfall radar map on the official Met Office website.

How can I track the rain in my area and across the country?

You can use the new Met Office weather map to see what weather is happening in your area, and also what weather is forecast for the rest of the day - and also the rest of the week.

How much rain is forecast?

Rain may be predicted across the UK today, but anyone who was hoping for a large amount of rainfall will be disappointed.

The majority of the country can only expect around 0.01 to 0.5mm of rain per hour today

When did it last rain in the UK?

When it last rained in the UK depends on where in the country you live.

There has been some brief periods of rainfall throughout the first few days of August, getting more prolonged during mid-August, but there has not been any meaningful rainfall since May 2022.