Londoners face potential travel chaos as thunderstorms are set to batter parts of the capital this weekend.
An eight-hour deluge is forecast for Friday, September 20, with a yellow thunderstorm warning in place from 12pm to 8pm. The alert covers much of south and west England and south Wales, including West London.
The Met Office warns of possible damage to buildings from lightning strikes, difficult driving conditions due to spray and standing water, potential train delays and likely short-term power cuts.
A second yellow warning has been issued for Saturday, lasting from 1am to 11.59pm. This alert mainly affects London's western outskirts, sparing most of the city from the worst of the storms.
Commuters and weekend travellers are advised to check their routes and allow extra time for journeys. The Met Office urges caution, particularly for those driving or using public transport.
The weather service has warned that hail and frequent lightning could accompany the “thunderstorms and heavy showers” and that up to 70mm of rain could fall in the worst affected areas on Saturday.
The stormy weather follows a warm, dry spell as temperatures reached 25C in Inverness on Wednesday while the mercury hit the same high in south east England on Thursday, according to the forecaster.
Met Office meteorologist Dan Stroud said: “We are being spoiled by almost summer’s last hurrah, but there’s a bit of a change coming down the line as we move our way through towards Friday, and especially the weekend.”
A “gentle decline” in temperature is expected over the weekend, with highs of 24C forecast for East Anglia on Saturday followed by low 20s in the area on Sunday, he added.
As of September 17, the UK has seen an average 49.5mm of rainfall this month – which is typical for this time of year, Mr Stroud said.
“Successive bands of rain” and “normal conditions for autumn” are expected next week, he added.
