Thousands of revellers are braving persistent rain as they set up camp for the Reading Festival, which kicked off on Thursday and runs through Sunday. An estimated 100,000 people are expected to attend the event, with headliners including Charli XCX, Florence + The Machine, and Chase & Status scheduled to perform.
The festival, held at Little John's Farm, comes after a long spell of hot and dry weather in Britain, but attendees appear prepared for the change. Downpours with some sunny spells began in Reading on Friday afternoon, with heavier rain expected to continue through Saturday and into Sunday. Similar weather conditions are anticipated at the concurrent Leeds Festival.
Despite the inclement weather, many festival-goers were seen smiling and laughing while setting up their campsites, clad in waterproof clothing. Others were pictured struggling with suitcases on muddy paths, using bin liners and other water-repellent materials to protect their belongings.
Social media users expressed their dismay at the weather, with one attendee writing, "First big festival I have been to in years and it looks like storms, torrential rain, mud and misery all weekend." Another commented, "Reading Festival tents and stages are up, just in time for the p***ing rain."
The rainy conditions coincide with yellow weather warnings issued by the Met Office for rain and thunderstorms covering parts of Wales and southern England on Thursday and Friday. On Thursday, the alert included areas such as Cardiff, London, Manchester, Birmingham, and Norwich. By Friday, the warning was active for eastern coastal areas like Hull and Norwich.
The Met Office had previously warned on X (formerly Twitter) about a band of heavy, possibly thundery rain sweeping northwestward, with a cluster of thunderstorms also likely to push up from France, bringing heavy rain, lightning, and hail. 
