Moment 'tornado' forms and downpour hits as Britain FINALLY gets some rain... and it's set to stick around for the Bank Holiday weekend

This is the moment the beginnings of a tornado formed above the British countryside while the country's prayers for rain have been answered with a Bank Holiday washout.Twister-like funnel clouds - which form in the sky and become a tornado once they reach the ground - were spotted over Berkshire and Gloucestershire earlier today. Guy Tuley spotted the twister-like cloud with his family in Redbourn, Hertfordshire, who watched in disbelief at what they believed was a tornado.Others spotted two funnel clouds forming just south of Gloucester.Tom Hughes said he spotted the 'twin funnel clouds' forming at around 4pm on Thursday.While the Met Office said it had received no reports of tornadoes, it said conditions were 'ideal for them to form'. One storm chaser warned that a tornado is likely to form on UK soil in the near future. Guy Tuley spotted the twister-like funnel cloud with his family in Redbourn, Hertfordshire Members of the public brave the rain in Birmingham as parts of the UK are hit by heavy rainThey wrote on social media: 'Two funnels, but I think at one point this looks like a broad circulation trying to spin up, if it succeeded this would have been a large multi-vortex tornado.'Unfortunately, a weekend washout is on the cards for parts of the country after torrential rain in the West Midlands overnight and into today.Homes and businesses in Birmingham were deluged by water up to 3ft deep and roads became rivers overnight.The Environment Agency issued 42 flood alerts for the Midlands and South East and there was a flood warning for the River Maun in Nottinghamshire.Some areas saw 50 to 75mm (2-3ins) of rain and lightning and hail but temperatures still hit up to 28C (82F).It comes after five successive heatwaves, with drought now declared in three-quarters of England and in Wales.Looking ahead to the Bank Holiday weekend, Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said: 'Most places in England and Wales will see between 10-30mm (0.4-1.2ins) of rain, with up to 50mm (2ins) possible in some spots – more likely further west.'Bank Holiday will see more of a mixed picture through the day with rain increasingly in northeastern areas while those further south could see sunshine at times.' Walkers brave the rain with umbrellas in Cambridge during today's downpours Streets became submerged in Birmingham, where 32 properties were flooded in Perry BarFlash flooding affected Birmingham's Perry Bar area, which impacted 32 properties and there were reports of drinkers trapped in a pub.Just 15 miles to the north, Lichfield, Staffordshire, was Britain's wettest place after 52.8mm (2.1ins) of rain fell in just a few hours this morning.Drayton Manor theme park, near Tamworth, Staffs., was closed due to 'adverse weather and flooding'.Elsewhere, 43.7mm (1.72ins) of rain was recorded at Crowford Bridge, Devon and 20mm (0.8ins) in parts of Warwickshire and Cambridgeshire.According to figures for the summer so far, August had received just 17pc of its average rainfall up to August 18, while July was the driest since records began in the 19th century.Next week, the last of the school holidays for many areas, is 'likely to remain unsettled with showers or longer spells of rain across all areas at times' and with 'potential for some strong winds at times'.But the return of warmth and sunshine remains possible later in September with 'drier weather' potentially 'more prevalent' – especially in the South – and 'the possibility of some hot spells'.The wet weather comes as 20 million car journeys are set to be taken between tomorrow and Monday.The RAC said this total was the highest number since it started analysing summer bank holiday travel plans in 2015, warning the busiest day – on what it called 'Frantic Friday' - is 'likely to be mired in traffic'.Rail disruption is likely to be at its worst on Sunday. Only one of three main lines between London, the Midlands and North – the West Coast route from Euston - will be fully running.The East Coast Main Line is closed between London King's Cross and Peterborough on Sunday for signalling work, while strike action means East Midlands Railway, running from St Pancras to the East Midlands and Yorkshire, has a 'significantly reduced' service on Sunday and Monday.Engineering work affects lines around Birmingham, between Leeds and York, London Charing Cross and Hayes in Kent, and at locations in Surrey and Hampshire.