A thunderstorm risk and heavy rain forecast for London across the weekend is set to bring a swift end to Friday’s sunshine.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for London along with most of the UK from 9am on Saturday until just before midnight.
It’s likely to put a further damper on Wimbledon matches after a week of mixed weather.
Although the capital could still reach a high of 29C on Saturday, the sun is set to be replaced with increasing cloud and occasional spells of locally heavy rain, making for muggy conditions.
The rain will spread from the east to all parts of London by the afternoon and evening with a risk of thunder, the Met Office said.
The Met Office warned drivers of possible flash flooding and power cuts if heavy rain persists in large parts of the country, excluding southwest England and Wales.
It comes after the Met Office and the UK Health Security Agency issued a yellow heat-health warning for London and five other regions - South East, East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, and Yorkshire - over the weekend.
A yellow warning means it is likely there will be an increase in the use of health care services by the vulnerable and an increase in risk to health for individuals over 65 or those who have pre-existing health conditions.
In London on Sunday cloud is set to be replaced with light rain by mid-morning, possibly turning heavy and thundery at times, particularly into Monday and Tuesday. Temperatures will dip to lower 20s from Sunday into the new week.
The UK weather service has issued yellow warnings for thunderstorms in Northern Ireland on Friday before storm clouds spread to much of Scotland and England on Saturday.
Most areas will continue to experience widespread showers on Monday and Tuesday, the Met Office said.
Forecaster Oliver Claydon said: “Heavy downpours are forecast through the weekend, especially Saturday.
“There is a risk of surface water flooding and difficult driving conditions on the roads due to the heavy thundery downpours.
“These will be heavy and thundery at times, potentially slow moving and most intense across northern areas, and organised into longer spells of rain at times across the south.”
A Met Office yellow warning for thunderstorms means there is a small chance homes and businesses could be flooded quickly and communities cut off by floodwater, while spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions.
