The Met Office has warned of a possible 'danger to life' from flooding in an updated thunderstorm alert issued on Monday. The Greater Manchester region is braced for storms and heavy rainfall today as the recent heatwave comes to an end in spectacular style.
A yellow-coded weather warning for rain is in place across England and Wales from 10am until midnight tonight - August 15. Commuters are being advised to check their journeys before they travel.
Now in an updated warning, Met Office forecasters have warned flooding of homes and businesses could happen quickly, with the threat of damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds.
"Fast flowing or deep floodwater is possible, causing a danger to life," said the warning. "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. Some communities might become cut off if roads flood. Power cuts might occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost."
Greater Manchester is included in the yellow weather warning zone. The Met Office said, however, that while some places will stay dry, others were likely to see thunderstorms with 'torrential rain bringing some disruption'.
In Manchester city centre, forecasters said thunderstorms are expected at noon and 1pm, and rain will return at 9pm. The yellow warning is also in place tomorrow (Tuesday, August 16).
The Met Office said thunderstorms and areas of heavy rain would develop 'quite widely' across much of England and Wales.
"The extent of these thunderstorms will be more widespread than on Monday, though some spots will still miss storms and remain dry. 20-30 mm of rain is possible within an hour, but where areas of thundery rain become slow-moving, some places could see 50 mm in less than three hours.
"There is a chance that higher totals could occur in a few spots over the course of the day. Hail and frequent lightning are likely additional hazards for some places. There remains some uncertainty at this stage in regional and county level focus."
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