Thunderstorms hit southern England with areas facing two inches of rain in just two hours as Met Office issues yellow warning

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

Thunderstorms have battered Britain amid warnings rain could reach up to two inches within two hours as the Met Offices issues a yellow weather alert.
A notice has been put in place for 10am to 9pm today across parts of southern England including Bristol, Oxford, Southampton, London, Kent and Ipswich.
Forecasters have said 25 to 35mm of rain could fall in as little as an hour in some areas of the warning zone, and these places could see up to 60mm in the course of a few hours.
Hail and lightning are also a possibility, with a small chances homes and business could be flooded quickly, the Met Office said.
The weather could cause delays to buses and trains, difficult conditions on the roads, and a chance of power cuts.
A spokesman for the forecasters, Stephen Dixon, said: 'It's important to note that not everywhere within that warning area will see those kind of rainfall totals.
'It's a thunderstorm warning and thunderstorms by their very nature are fairly hit and miss.
'So some areas will see significantly less in the way of rainfall, but where you do see those heavier bursts of rain there's the potential for some impacts which has resulted in that warning.'
Thunderstorms will start in the western part of the warning area and move eastwards as the day progresses.
Temperatures could reach 27C in some places but it will not feel that warm, Mr Dixon added.
The risk of thunderstorms will subside later in the evening and die out overnight.
Elsewhere the UK will mainly be cloudy, with some showers in south-west and south-eastern parts of Scotland.
'It's a bit of a messy meteorological set up over the UK,' Mr Dixon said.
Further weather warnings may be issued for Monday as there is a 'fairly good degree of confidence' that the UK will be hit by 'some very strong winds and some heavy rain', the spokesman added.
He said: 'Really what we're looking at in the medium-range forecast period is the potential for some unseasonably wet and windy weather on Monday.'
Friday is expected to start with showers that weaken through the course of the day.
They will be more frequent in central and eastern parts of England, the Met Office said.
Saturday will be a 'fine day for many' with dry but not particularly warm conditions, Mr Dixon added.
Some rain is expected to move in from west to east during Sunday and will affect much of the UK.
Yesterday forecasters predicted risks of sudden flooding, 'difficult driving conditions' and a risk of delays to public transport services.
They also warned of a 'slight chance' of power cuts in the affected areas.
The London Fire Brigade warned that people should be equipped to deal with flash flooding, despite no flood warnings at the time.
A spokesman said: 'The warmer weather we have been having will dry out and crack soil. This makes it harder to absorb and soak up a sudden and heavy downpour.
'Couple this with torrential rain and we could see streets and homes flooded.
'Our firefighters know what they need to do in a flood, but it's important Londoners know as well and follow our flooding advice.'
Its tips included preparing a 'grab bag' with essentials in case you need to leave home, protecting properties with sandbags, and looking out for neighbours.
Drivers were also advised to avoid driving into flooded areas.