Heavy rain could cause three days of flooding and travel disruption across southern England and parts of London, the Met Office has warned.
A yellow rain alert comes into force at 9pm on Wednesday and lasts until 11.45pm on Thursday, covering south London.
A second heavy rain alert is also in place for the whole of Friday covering the south of England, including the capital.
While not all areas will be affected, the Met Office warned that up to 40mm of rain may fall “in an hour or two”, with a small chance some areas could see “over 50mm” (1.96in) fall within the same timeframe.
It warned the scattered downpours could “potentially impact the Thursday morning commute in some areas”.
Temperatures are still expected to creep up to 25C in London on Friday despite the wet weather, the Met Office said.
The forecaster has warned there is a slight chance of power cuts and a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded.
“Heavy showers, perhaps thundery, are possible in places on Wednesday night into Thursday morning,” said the Met Office on its website.
⚠️ Yellow weather warning issued ⚠️
— Met Office (@metoffice) September 3, 2024
Rain across parts of southeast Wales and southern and eastern England
Wednesday 2100 – Thursday 0900
Latest info 👉 https://t.co/QwDLMfRBfs
Stay #WeatherAware⚠️ pic.twitter.com/gvD9Hb5eyT
“There is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services.“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.
“There is a small chance of fast flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life.”
It added that downpours “could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures.”
It came as the Met Office revealed this summer was the coolest the UK has seen since 2015.
