UK thunderstorm warning issued as torrential rain to blanket country
26 June 2020, 06:47
A deluge of rain is set to sweep across the UK ending a week of scorching sunshine and record temperatures.
Forecasters have issued an alert for Friday warning of possible lightning, rain and hail with the risk of flooding in some areas.
A yellow weather warning is in place blanketing all of England, Scotland and east Wales from midday to 9am on Saturday.
Areas hit by the storms could experience "torrential downpours" with between 30mm to 50mm of rain falling in an hour.
Met Office meteorologist Craig Snell said: "Not everyone will see a storm, but if you catch one, you will certainly know about it."
Forecasters have warned the storms could cause disruption in the county and lead to some flooding.
“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,” the warning reads.
“Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services.
“Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures.
“There is a small chance that some communities become cut off by flooded roads.
“There is a slight chance that power cuts could occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost.”
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The stark change in weather comes at the UK experienced record June temperatures with Heathrow Airport seeing temperatures rocket to 33.4C making it the hottest day of the year so far.
As we reported heatwave saw thousands of people flock to the south coast, resulting in a major incident being declared and Government experts warning people against gathering in large groups.
Major incident declared after thousands flock to south coast beaches
Scotland and Wales also experienced their hottest days of the year so far, with the former recording 30.8C in Prestwick, and the latter seeing temperatures rise to 31.4C in Trawsgoed, near Aberystwyth.
Temperatures on Friday are forecast to reach 31C in London, the mid-20s for the rest of England and up to 27C in the Scottish Highlands, making for a "relatively warm and humid" day, Mr Snell said.
The storms are expected to clear northeastwards on Friday afternoon and into the evening, but will remain over north-east Scotland until Saturday morning, the Met Office said.
Thousands of Brits flock to the beach as temperatures soar
The Environment Agency issued two flood alerts - meaning flooding is possible - for the waterways around Loughborough in Leicestershire and the River Trent tributaries in Nottinghamshire.
Temperatures are expected to drop on Saturday to 22C to 23C in London, and stay around the "high teens to low 20s" for the rest of the UK, Mr Snell said.
He added: "It (the weather) will change, but it will be more what people expect our summer to be like - a mix of sun and showers."
