At long last, rain!

Gardeners and farmers are rejoicing although commuters will be left sweltering in muggy, humid weather this week as rain sweeps across the country.

Raining in England? Hardly breaking news, but the unseasonably dry start to this month has left gardens and parks looking peaky, limp and yellow.

The rainfall could therefore help prevent a hosepipe ban down the line.

Torrential downpours could be seen as soon as Wednesday (May 17) in the south east as warm, humid air pushing up from Spain hits a cool weather front, creating what many consider to be the perfect storm.

The same Spanish air will get France sweltering with temperatures in the 30s but Great British cloud and rain will ensure our temperatures stay in the low 20s, according to the Met Office.

Through the week the rain is expected to continue with temperatures hitting the high teens.

Thunder and lightning could be seen as the temperatures begin to return to average for this time of year.