Despite being one of the hottest weeks in years, thousands of Britons are facing the prospect of flooding as heavy rains threaten parts of the country.
Flood alerts have been issued in south Wales and south-west England, including Cornwall, Devon and Somerset, due to predictions of flash downpours on Thursday, the Environment Agency said.
Tony Conran, forecaster for MeteoGroup UK, the weather arm of the Press Association, explained: "There remains a possibility for the hottest day of the year but for other parts there could be floods."
"There's an area of very heavy rain moving in towards the hills of Bodmin and Exmoor. Anywhere in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset there could be a hell of a lot of rain."
The Environment Agency has warned homeowners businesses and drivers in south-west England and south Wales to be on guard for increased surface water and small watercourses.
Even though the current weather spell is the hottest since July 2006 - with Wednesday the hottest of the year so far at 31.8C (89.2F) - residents are still being advised to check whether their home insurance policies cover loss through flooding, just in case the weather takes a turn for the worse in their area.
