The Met Office has today issued a new yellow warning for severe thunderstorms which are set to hit almost all of England and Wales on Sunday. The alert which runs for the whole day on Sunday from 00.01 am until midnight forecast heavy rain and thunderstorms which will be severe enough to cause disruption.
The country was swept by thunder and lighning last weekend when some flooding was caused and chaos came to airports when planes were unable to land due to serious turbulence. Damage was done by lightning and there were 10,000 strikes estimated in the UK.
The heatwave is causing some extreme weather with temperatures of over 30C and conditions causing thunderstorms to form. The likelihood of a end to this period of hot weather soon is unlikely, the Met Office has said - a heatwave is defined as having temperatures of 25C or more for three days in a row in an area.
The high temperatures have put the NHS under increased pressure with A&E departments seeing almost record demand. A Met Office forecaster said in a new statement today: “The weather is turning a little more unsettled as we head through the next few days, with an increasing risk of thundery showers developing from the south and west.
"Although not as hot as recently, temperatures are still set to remain well above average, and are likely to continue to reach the mid to high 20sC in the sunnier moments away from showers. Given that for a heatwave to occur (as per map below) temperatures of 25 to 28C or more are required for 3 days or more (depending on location), the heatwave threshold is likely to continue being met in some areas.
“There is a hint that higher pressure and more settled conditions could return later next week, however, confidence is low on this aspect at present.” The Met Office has forecast temperatures in the high 20s, with some areas reaching into the 30s.
The thunderstorms warning says that spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures. It added there is a ‘small chance’ homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds.
Disruption to transport is likely with trains, roads and airports subject to delays.
