Yellow weather warning for thunderstorms issued by Met Office for parts of the UK

31 August 2024, 12:49 | Updated: 31 August 2024, 13:18

A yellow weather alert for thunderstorm has been issued by the Met Office for parts of England for Sunday.

Thundery downpours are likely to hit the south of England, the Midlands, the north of England and eastern parts of Wales on Sunday.

Parts of the south west of England could also be hit by flooding over the weekend due to the heavy showers.

The warning lasts from 4am until 9pm.

Meteorologists said there was a "small chance of flooding and disruption from heavy showers and thunderstorms" on Sunday in a few places, including power cuts.

"There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds," a Met Office spokesman said.

They also said it could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures, as well as cancellations to some train and bus services.

"A few showers and isolated thunderstorms are expected to develop across parts of southern England on Saturday night, but by Sunday morning there is an increasing risk of more active and organised heavy showers and thunderstorms moving in to, or developing across, parts of southern England," the spokesman said.

"The risk of storms will then steadily transfer broadly northwards through the afternoon and into the early evening.

"The extent of these thunderstorms is very uncertain, and many places will miss them, but where they do occur, 30 to 40 mm of rain may fall in less than an hour with perhaps over 75 mm in one or two places, leading to a chance of flooding and disruption.

"Frequent lightning strikes and hail will be additional hazards, most likely across southern and central England."

What to expect

• Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
• Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services
• There is a slight chance that power cuts could occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost
• There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds

Summer has been cooler than usual in the UK with "slightly below average sun", the latest Met Office statistics show.

Rainfall has varied between regions but has been average.

A heatwave swept parts of the UK in September last year, with temperatures topping 30C somewhere in the country for seven consecutive days.