Met Office forecasts gloomy week of storms, thunderous showers and low temperatures

Put away the barbeque – British summer is back

Stormy weather is set to blight Britain this week (Getty Images)

Just when you thought it was safe to slap on the sun cream and light up the barbeque, weather experts at the Met Office have forecast a dismal week of low temperatures and thundery showers.

Over the next week, temperatures will plummet to a low of 14C and thunderous downpours will sweep across the UK.

Forecasters have said the weather will be ‘changeable’, but warned of frequent and heavy showers on Monday and cloud with patchy rain for the week ahead.

The north west is expected to bear the brunt of the bad weather with cloud and showers forecast for the entire week.

It follows a weekend of dreary weather for much of the UK. Over 18.2mm of rain fell on Suffolk, and in Devon a house was struck by lightning as fierce storms lashed the region.

The predicted torrent of rain is a consequence of warm, humid air moving in from Europe which creates a risk of downpours when it mixes with cooler air over the UK.

Today, temperatures are expected to reach a high of 25C.