Thunder, lightning and heavy rain are set to lash large swathes of the UK on Sunday, with signs that thunderstorms could cause sudden flooding and power cuts.
A yellow Met Office weather warning for thunderstorms is in place for almost all of England and Wales between noon and midnight on Sunday, and there is also one until 9 pm in Northern Ireland.
Some areas are expected to get 30mm of rainfall in an hour, with as much as 80mm falling within three to six hours in the worst-affected regions.
There is also the potential for frequent lightning, strong winds and hail – which could cause flooding, travel issues and power cuts.
Grahame Madge, from the Met Office, said: “Some of the storms have the potential to be quite intense, with high rainfall rates.
“Some locations may well miss them altogether, but all we can do now is indicate a risk across both countries.”
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He added: “We will keep the yellow warning closely monitored, and if we need to escalate that for local areas, then we will.”
From the Environment Agency, Sarah Cook said: “On Sunday afternoon and into the night, slow-moving heavy showers and thunderstorms could lead to localised surface water flooding across England.
“Environment Agency category are out on the ground and will carry local authorities in responding to surface water flooding.”
The Met Office has issued a yellow-level thunderstorm warning as Britons are advised to brace for heavy rain and damage from lightning strikes.
The warning remains until 9 pm this evening (Monday, May 8) for part of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Those in affected areas have been warned of flooding and possible hail.
The Met Office said people should expect: “Probably some damage to a few structure and structures from lightning strikes.
“Some flooding of a few homes and businesses probable, leading to some damage to buildings or structures.
“There is a good chance driving conditions will be pretentious by spray, standing water and hail, leading to longer tour times by car and bus.
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“Delays to train help are possible. Some short-term loss of power and other services is likely.”
The heaviest showers are most likely in the east of Northern Ireland, with 30-40mm of rain predicted to hit over several hours.
The Met Office explained that heavy rain will develop in Northern Ireland across the afternoon.
“These may turn heavy and thundery at times, with a risk of hail,” the warning states.
Hail is also possible across Scotland, with heavy rain expected to move eastwards this evening.
“Rainfall totals of 15 to 30 mm is possible in an hour or two in a few places,” a Met Office spokesperson added.
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Elsewhere, heavy clouds and rain are expected in the east of England later today.
In the report to the Met Office, the UK will see: “Scattered heavy showers clearing east across northern areas with clear spells and a few fog patches in the northwest. Elsewhere, the rain clears slowly east but remains rather cloudy. Mild.”
Temperatures are expected to hit 19C in Northern Ireland and the east of England, while London and the Midlands should see highs of 17C.
The Met Office has provided a yellow thunderstorm warning following days of glorious sunshine.
The warning covering Greater Manchester and most of England and Wales will come into force at midnight on Sunday (June 18). It will last all day, until 11.59 pm.
Forecasters predict heavy rain and thunderstorms throughout the day ‘will bring a chance of disruption to parts of England and Wales’. There is a ‘small chance of flooding’ in the areas covered by the warning.
Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Steven Keates said: “Over the coming days, we’ll be transitioning to a more unsettled regime for the UK, though temperatures will remain high, and it’ll feel very humid for many. Heavy showers and thunderstorms will likely become more frequent through the weekend, with the potential for associated hail, lightning and gusty winds.
“While the focus of thundery showers on Friday afternoon will be Northern Ireland, that risk spreads more widely across western and southern areas of the UK on Saturday before pushing further north on Sunday. As in many of these situations, these showers can be hit or miss, with some places avoiding them while others nearby may see very wet conditions.
