UK to be battered by thunderstorms as thousands take to the streets for Jubilee parties

4 June 2022, 12:57 | Updated: 4 June 2022, 12:59

Most of England and Wales will see a day of thunderstorms on Sunday as thousands of street parties are set to be held up and down the country.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms covering the vast majority of England and Wales.

The warning starts at midnight overnight on Saturday and will last until 6pm on Sunday evening.

The forecaster is warning of heavy rain, hail and possible flooding, which could further hamper travel.

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But the timing could not be worse, with an estimated 16,000 street parties scheduled to be held up and down the country to celebrate the last day of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Torrential downpours are likely in a few places with parts of the Midlands, East Anglia and southeast England most at risk.

The Met Office said some places could see 15-20mm in an hour, and even up to 50mm.

The thunderstorms will slowly spread into southern parts of northern England on Sunday morning before easing.

Further south, drier conditions are expected to briefly develop on Sunday morning before further showers and thunderstorms develop over some parts of southern England, Wales, the Midlands and East Anglia later.

On Saturday, a yellow warning for thunderstorms is in place for parts of southwest England until the early afternoon.

Met Office meteorologist Steven Keates said he would not rule out rain for Saturday night's Party At The Palace in central London.

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"There's a potential for a shower there," he said, adding: "I think the shower risk overall is low, but the later we go into the evening that shower risk does come up."

Diana Ross, Queen + Adam Lambert, Alicia Keys, Hans Zimmer, George Ezra, and Eurovision 2022 runner-up Sam Ryder are among the celebrity acts preparing to entertain a live crowd of 22,000 people in the front of Buckingham Palace.

Friday brought sudden, heavy downpours to Wales, with the seaside town of Criccieth receiving 92mm of rain in just six hours.

Homes and businesses were left damaged and some roads impassable while many were celebrating the Jubilee.

Scotland recorded its warmest day of the year on Friday at 21.6C (71F).

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The mercury is expected to continue rising north of the border to a high of 23C (73.4F) in the West Highlands on Saturday, with sunshine expected.

The good weather is set to continue in Scotland with more sun and dry conditions on Sunday.

Saturday is expected to bring warm temperatures of around 19C (66.2F) and sunshine for Northern Ireland, with a bit of cloud towards the south.

Cloud will arrive in southern parts of Northern Ireland on Sunday, potentially carrying a risk of rain.