Thunderstorms developing across UK

Thunderstorms are already getting going across parts of the UK, along the boundary of a cold front.

Ahead of potentially the hottest day of the year, thunderstorms are starting to bubble up along a cold front.

The cold front is bringing cold air which is interacting with and undercutting the warmer air aloft, as cold air is more dense than warm air.

This air is then forced to quickly rise by the advancing cold front, with the warmer air rising, cooling and condensing to form clouds.

This rapid and intense process along a sharp temperature boundary can promote the formation of thunderstorms, alongside some other key ingredients.

Cold fronts are known for causing some quite potent and severe weather, with torrential downpours, gusty winds, hail and lightning all often associated with them.