The Met Office has issued thunderstorm warnings across much of the UK over the weekend. The yellow warning covers the entirety of England and Wales, and also straddles the border with Scotland.
It also covers much of Northern Ireland, as well as small pockets of the Republic. The warning, which starts at noon on Sunday (June 18) and ends at 11.59pm the same day, says there is the chance of 'heavy rain and thunderstorms on Sunday (that) will bring a chance of disruption to parts of England and Wales'.
A tweet issued by the Met Office adds that there is the risk of heavy rain, thunderstorms, flooding, power cuts and travel disruption. There is also the 'potential for frequent lightning, strong winds and hail'.
What to expect
- Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and possible road closures
- Flooding of homes and businesses could happen quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds
- Fast flowing or deep floodwater is possible, perhaps temporarily cutting off one or two communities
- Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services
- Power cuts might occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost
Northern Ireland also has a yellow weather waring issued for thunderstorms today (Saturday, June 17). There are no further warnings in place during the week.
It comes following a more unsettled period of late, with higher temperatures than average for the time of year, but also rainfall and storms across much of the country. Parts of the country have exceeded 30C and the Met Office confirmed some areas of England were experiencing a heat wave.
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Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Steven Keates said: “Over the coming days we’ll be transitioning to a more unsettled regime for the UK, though temperatures will remain high and it’ll feel very humid for many.
“Heavy showers and thunderstorms are likely to become more frequent through the weekend, with the potential for associated hail, lightning and some gusty winds. While the focus of thundery showers on Friday afternoon will be Northern Ireland, that risk spreads more widely across western and southern areas of the UK on Saturday, before pushing further north on Sunday. As in many of these situations, these showers can be hit or miss, with some places avoiding them whilst other areas nearby may see some very wet conditions.”
“There’s an ongoing likelihood of warnings being issued in the coming days, so keep an eye on the weather forecast for the latest outlook.”
