What SUMMER holiday? Storms set to batter Britain for the first few weeks of the school break as experts forecast 'erratic' weather with heavy wind and rain

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The first few weeks of the summer holidays are set to be a washout, with rain and storms battering the country. 

Britons on a staycation should make sure they pack an umbrella and the prepare for erratic weather that is here to stay throughout much of the holidays.

Scattered showers and storms are likely to be the recurrent theme for the foreseeable future throughout much of the UK.

It was a rainy day in Cambridge today where umbrellas are the order of the day and the weather is set to continue to be unsettled for the rest of the wee

Pictured: Tourists taking a rainy trip punting on the river Cam in Cambridge today 

Pictured: A lifeguard braves the winds and cold weather to keep watch on the beach in Broadstairs today

Scattered showers and storms are likely to be the recurrent theme for the foreseeable future throughout much of the UK

The unpredictable weather means families planning a sunny visit to the beach or a day in the park will likely be disappointed.

Experts predict that this week will be cold, cool and windy with some sunshine and showers before thundery downpours arrive. The weekend will see long spells of rain for much of the UK and stiff winds.

Southern areas will see persistent rain, whereas the north and west will have lighter showers.

Pedestrians shelter from the rain on Westminster Bridge today, as a rainy weatherfront sweeps from the Atlantic and western coast

Experts predict that the coming week will be cold, cool and windy with some sunshine and showers before thundery downpours arrive

Three day forecast: The summer holidays are set to be a washout, with rain and storms battering the country

There may be some respite for people in the south of the country on Sunday, but the skies will remain cloudy. Showers are expected to rumble on throughout the weekend and into next week.

A Met Office spokeswoman told The Sun: 'Showers could really be quite heavy tomorrow for the south and central parts of the UK. Some of those showers could be quite heavy with some thunder in them.

'Friday starts off with sunshine and showers but then the south will see more rain coming through. It will be a wet end to the day across Wales and southern England. 

'It will be worth having an umbrella to hand over the next few days generally.' 

Last week Met Office forecaster Marco Petagana predicted the gloomy and erratic conditions would rumble into August. 

The unpredictable weather means families planning a sunny visit to the beach or a day in the park will likely be disappointed

Showers are expected to rumble on throughout the weekend and into next week. This lady is still smiling despite the the weather in Cambridge today

Last Tuesday more than a month's worth of rain – 4in (100m) fell in the space of just two hours which led to flash flooding that deluged the Cornish village of Coverack. The county's July average is 3.1in (80mm).

Fifty homes were flooded, including dozens said to be uninhabitable, and piles of rubble blocked the roads. Five people were winched to safety by helicopter, while others managed to flee with the help of friends and relatives.

The flash-flooding in Coverack was the worst to hit Cornwall during the summer since the Boscastle disaster in 2004, in which 440 million gallons of water swept through the town, causing millions of pounds worth of damage.