FLOODY HELL
UK weather: Met Office issues THREE new warnings as thundery downpours strike swathe of nation in bad omen for summer
Scroll down to see exact areas where rain and storms will strike
THE Met Office has now issued three new warnings as large parts of the country are hit by thundery downpours in a bad omen for the summer.
The wet and stormy front is pushing into South West England and southern Wales this morning posing a "danger to life" due to flooding.
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If true, the forecast is a bad omen for weather this summer, according to the legend of St Swithin's Day.
According to traditional folklore, the weather experienced on St Swithin's Day (July 15) will continue for the next 40 days - meaning parts of the country could be in for a wet rest of the summer if superstition holds true.
The proverb of St Swithin says: "St Swithin's Day if thou dost rain, for forty days it will remain, St Swithin's Day if thou be fair, for forty days will rain na mair."
However, it is expected to be a "drier start to the new week further north with some bright and sunny spells", the Met Office added.
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The first rain weather warning, which was issued earlier today says: "Heavy rain will spread north across the sea during Monday."
It is in place between 8am and 11.59pm on Monday ahead of forecast downpours of up to 40mm over the course of a few hours.
It spans Wales and parts of western England - including Cardiff, Bangor, Liverpool and Exeter.
The Met Office warned "torrential downpours" are likely, with 15-20mm of rainfall forecast in less than an hour in some places - and 30-40mm within three hours in others.
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This may be accompanied by lightning throughout the day, the forecaster added.
In an update from the weather centre, a second yellow weather warning for rain has now been issued for later today.
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This second one, covers the rest of southern and central England and stretches further up the eastern coast.
That warning is in place from 3pm today and carries on right through the night until 9am on Tuesday.
Another rain warning is now in place from 8am to 8pm and covers eastern parts of northern and central Scotland and extends as far south as Newcastle.
Once again, the warning is for "heavy showers" which are likely to lead to disruption.
Much of the country will experience heavy rain and localised flooding, and downpours of up to 40mm over the course of a few hours.
There is a small chance some homes could be flooded or see power cuts and fast flowing or deep floodwater may also cause a danger to life.
Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and road closures, the Met Office said.
There is also a chance some train and bus services will be delayed or cancelled in affected areas.
Bands of showery rain are tracking north across the South West with further outbreaks of rain, which will be heavy at times with a risk of thunder expected to develop later, moving northwards through the evening and overnight.
It follows a soggy first seven months of the year so far, which has seen rain blamed for dampening economic performance and consumer spending.
Met Office spokesperson Andrea Bishop said that the legend of St Swithin is "not backed up by statistics".
She said: "While the story is compelling, it's not entirely backed up by historical records and, similarly, when it comes to the weather folklore, it's not backed up by weather statistics."
Ms Bishop said: "Since the start of records in 1861, there have never been 40 dry or 40 wet days in a row following July 15.
"Today, we have a day of rain across most parts of the country, with three yellow rain warnings issued over the next 24 hours and the forecast for the week ahead remains unsettled."
Ms Bishop said that despite the drizzly start on Monday, there is warmth on the horizon with temperatures due to rise by midway through the week, with parts of the South East reaching 26C on Thursday and Friday.
She said: "There is some good news, though, with some improvement by midweek, at least for southern parts of the country with a ridge coming in and temperatures looking to rise.
"Parts of the southeast could see up to 26°C on Thursday and Friday."
One expert said the dreary weather could affect people's mood.
Professor Trevor Harley, emeritus professor of Psychology at the University of Dundee and author of the book Psychology of Weather said: "For most people rainy days lower mood. This effect isn't so much because of the rain itself as the lack of sunshine.
"Sunshine is good for our mental health, and helps produce serotonin, the brain's 'good mood chemical'.
";Serotonin also helps control appetite so we might find we eat too much on rainy days! We also need sunshine to regulate our sleep-wake cycle, so too much rain is going to get in the way of that.
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"It isn't all bad news though. Rain helps clear the air of pollen and pollutants, and rain hitting the earth can release a chemical called geosmin, which can help raise mood. The smell caused when rain hits soil goes by the wonderful name of petrichor.
"And believe it or not, some people really dislike sunshine and like rain, so they must have been very happy recently."
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