Weather warnings have been issued for heavy showers, thunderstorms and a small chance of flash floods, posing a “danger to life”.
The Met Office issued three yellow warnings for thunderstorms for parts of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland on Tuesday, lasting from midday until midnight.
The warning in Northern Ireland is in place from 12pm to 9pm, in England it lasts from 2pm to 7pm, and in Scotland it goes from 3pm to midnight.
In the warnings, the weather agency said there was “a small chance of fast flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life”.
The east of Northern Ireland, southernmost parts of Scotland, and parts of northern England are set to be worst affected, where the Met Office say “20 to 30 mm of rain may build up” over the evening.
It added: “Frequent lightning, hail and gusty winds will be additional hazards in some places.”
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Meanwhile, from Yorkshire to the east of England, the Met Office said “thunderstorms will break out in some places this afternoon and move quite quickly eastwards” before fading later.
“Where storms do occur, 15 to 30 mm of rain may fall in less than an hour or two in a few spots and frequent lightning, hail and gusty winds will be additional hazards,” it added.
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Another yellow thunderstorm warning is also in effect in Scotland on Wednesday, lasting from 10am to 7pm, and stretching from Edinburgh to Inverness.
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Earlier this month: Lightning storms amid weather warnings
The Met Office said showers on Wednesday in Scotland “will become heavier and more widespread later in the morning for the afternoon”.
“Where showers and storms develop, they could be slow-moving and prolonged, bringing 15-20 mm of rain in less than an hour and potentially 30-40 mm in a few hours,” it added.
The weather agency said “sunshine and showers” are set for Thursday, with some rain being “heavy with hail and thundery”.
It then says in its weekly outlook that the weather will “slowly becoming drier through Friday and into Saturday, with increasing amounts of sunshine”.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir Starmer to sack Treasury minister Tulip Siddiq over allegations she lived in properties linked to allies of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the deposed prime minister of Bangladesh.
It comes after the current Bangladeshi leader, Muhammad Yunus, said London properties used by Ms Siddiq should be investigated.
He told the Sunday Timesthe properties should be handed back to his government if they were acquired through “plain robbery”.
Tory leader Ms Badenoch said: “It’s time for Keir Starmer to sack Tulip Siddiq.
“He appointed his personal friend as anti-corruption minister and she is accused herself of corruption.
“Now the government of Bangladesh is raising serious concerns about her links to the regime of Sheikh Hasina.”
Ms Siddiq insists she has “done nothing wrong”.
Her aunt was ousted from office in August following an uprising against her 20-year leadership and fled to India.
On the same day, the prime minister said: “Tulip Siddiq has acted entirely properly by referring herself to the independent adviser, as she’s now done, and that’s why we brought into being the new code.
“It’s to allow ministers to ask the adviser to establish the facts, and yes, I’ve got confidence in her, and that’s the process that will now be happening.”
Police in Aberdeen have widened the search area for two sisters who disappeared four days ago in the city.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32, were last seen on CCTV on Market Street after leaving their home on Tuesday at around 2.12am.
The sisters – who are part of a set of triplets and originally from Hungary – crossed the Victoria Bridge to the Torry area and turned right on to a footpath next to the River Dee.
They headed in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club but officers said there is no evidence to suggest the missing women left the immediate area.
Specialist search teams, police dogs and a marine unit have been trying to trace the pair.
Further searches are being carried out towards the Port of Aberdeen’s South Harbour and Duthie Park.
Police Scotland said it is liaising with authorities in Hungary to support the relatives of the two sisters.
Chief Inspector Darren Bruce said: “Eliza and Henrietta’s family are understandably extremely worried about them and we are working tirelessly to find them.
“We are seriously concerned about them and have significant resources dedicated to the inquiry.”
The sisters, from Aberdeen city centre, are described as slim with long brown hair.
Officers have requested businesses in and around the South Esplanade and Menzies Road area to review their CCTV footage for the early morning of Tuesday 7 January.
Police added they are keen to hear from anyone with dashcam footage from that time.
TV presenter Katie Piper has revealed her decision to get an artificial eye, 16 years after an acid attack that left her with life-changing injuries and partial blindness.
The Loose Women panellist, 41, is an advocate for those with burns and disfigurement injuries.
She shared a video of her being fitted with the prosthetic on Instagram.
Piper said: “After many years battling with my eye health, I’ve reached the end of the road somewhat, and the decision has been made to try a prosthetic eye shell.
“This marks the start of a journey to have an artificial eye, with an incredible medical team behind me.
“As always I’m incredibly grateful to all those in the NHS and private health care system for their talent and kindness.
“I will share my journey, I’m hopeful and nervous about being able to tolerate it and would love to hear from any of you in the comments if you’ve been on this journey or have any advice.”
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Commenting on the post, presenter Lisa Snowdon said Piper was a “warrior” and a “true inspiration”.
Piper has undergone hundreds of operations after suffering an acid attack arranged by her ex-boyfriend in March 2008.
She gave up her right to anonymity and made a documentary in 2009 called Katie: My Beautiful Face.
Piper also founded the Katie Piper Foundation which supports survivors of life-changing burns and scars, and has received an honorary doctorate from the Royal College of Surgeons to mark her ground-breaking work.
She was made an OBE in 2021 for her services to charity and burn victims.