UK weather: Up to 40mm of rain could fall in two hours amid thunderstorm warning
A yellow warning is in place for "potentially intense" thunderstorms in large parts of the country - and some places could have up to 40mm of rainfall in less than two hours.
The Met Office said there could also be "frequent lightning, large hail and strong winds".
The alert lasts until 3am on Sunday and covers parts of North East and North West England, the Midlands, Yorkshire, northeast Wales and the Scottish Borders.
The Met Office urged those in the warning areas to consider if their location is at risk of flash flooding and to prepare accordingly.
Forecasters have said the heatwave in parts of England and Wales provides "perfect conditions" for thunderstorms.
On Saturday, the UK had the hottest day of 2025 so far, with a temperature of 33.2C (91.7F) recorded in Charlwood, Surrey.
And thousands of people watched the sunrise over Stonehenge in Wiltshire to celebrate the summer solstice, marking the year's longest day.
Met Office meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey said "hot and humid air is being dragged up" from parts of continental Europe.
"But we also have low pressure out in the Atlantic, and that is driving weather fronts across the UK, providing instability in the air and the perfect conditions to start sparking off some thunderstorms as that hot and humid air rises rapidly," he added.
The east of England, including London and the South East, could experience a "tropical night", although most of the country will see "a lot cooler" and "a lot fresher" conditions, Met Office forecaster Dan Stroud said.
"In one or two spots, that could potentially be a tropical night, which is where the overnight minimums actually fail to drop below 20 degrees (centigrade)," he added.
Sunday will see a day of "sunny spells and showers" with highs of around 27C and 28C, Mr Stroud said.
An amber heat-health alert for all regions in England remains in place over the weekend.
The alert, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), has warned that significant impacts are likely during the alert period across health and social care services, including a rise in demand.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Flash floods: Londoners should prepare for heavy rain, mayor says
More than 50,000 basement properties are at increased risk of floods due to climate change, the Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan has capital has seen the impact of the climate emergency first-hand with soaring temperatures and flash floods in recent years. In July 2021, severe flooding left some Londoners temporarily homeless as thousands of properties were filled with storm water and sewage after more than a month's rain fell in two Hall is sending guidance on flash flooding to households in basement properties, with advice on how to prepare for and deal with a flash flood. The warning comes as temperatures in London are due to soar to as high as 34C in the coming from City Hall has found that flood risk could affect nearly half of London's hospitals, a quarter of railway stations and one in five latest Environment Agency data shows more than half a million London homes and businesses at high or medium flooding can happen when very heavy rain falls on hard surfaces, overwhelming drainage and sewers - it can happen quickly and without warning. City Hall said while the likelihood of flooding remained low for most basement properties, where it does occur the "damage and risk to life can be serious".London Fire Brigade assistant commissioner Pat Goulbourne said that climate change was "evolving the challenges fire and rescue services face". He added: "It is important to have the plans in place to ensure that London is more resilient to the extreme weather we are experiencing on an increasingly regular basis. "Heavy rain and urban flooding can cause significant damage to property and infrastructure; being prepared will help minimise this threat and is vital to the wellbeing of this city and all Londoners." A leaflet will be distributed to at-risk properties across London offering guidance to residents about how to prepare for and deal with a are being advised to sign up to receive weather warnings through the Met Office alert email, check drains in and around the home are clear, and ensure they are aware how to turn off water, gas and electricity supplies. In addition, they are advised to prepare a "flood kit" of important items in case they have to evacuate their homes, containing warm clothing, a phone charger, any vital medication and important documents, such as proof of leaflet also shares the steps to follow if a flood Williams, London Councils executive member for transport and environment, said: "The 2021 floods in London were devastating, and it's vital that residents across the city are aware of flood risks to help prevent such widespread disruption and loss in the future."
BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
'I have a job that keeps me cool during heatwave'
Not everyone can boast about being at work during a for Hakan Sahin, who works at Target Food Store in Alfreton Road, Nottingham, being on shift means he can cool off when he is stocking up the fridges and 20-year-old said: "I love it. Outside it's burning [hot]...so it's quite nice to work in a cool place."It comes as heat health alerts have come into force across most of England as the country braces for a second summer heatwave. The job of stocking up the dairy and frozen sections was not a popular one during winter, when staff put on a few extra layers to tackle the cold, Mr Sahin it is a completely different story in the summer."There are lots of [jobs that involve working] outside, like construction jobs. "I was not working yesterday, but I still came to the store to see what's going on because it's a cool place. I love [being here]."But he is not the only one who loves wandering by the frozen section. Can Duran, who runs the store, says the scorching temperature means more overheated customers coming into the store to cool off."They just come in, and the first reaction is 'it's nice and cool in here'."They buy their drinks and stay for two minutes, talk to their friends, and obviously when they're ready, they go back out."We give them refreshing coolness here, and they just buy a little something."Working near the fridges during a heatwave is "the best", he added."We start wearing shorts when it gets hot. "When the frozen stock comes in, we love it because it's hot, and we just open the freezer; the coldness comes through."Not everyone can get what we get. For us it's a benefit because we get the cold rather than the heat."I'm lucky to work here. I have a job, and I feel the coldness."
BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
Your photos from across West Midlands: Cows, canals and fields
We love to feature your photographs showing the beauty of the West Midlands and here are some of the best from the past your images via BBC Weather Watchers or email us at midlandstoday@ inspiration, view some top tips from three of England's Big Picture photographers. When emailing pictures, please make sure you include the following information:The full name of the person who took the pictures (as this person owns the copyright)Confirmation that the copyright holder gives permission for the BBC to use their pictures across all its outputsThe location, date and time the pictures were takenYour telephone number so we can get back to you if we have any further other details about the pictures that may be useful for us to knowPlease note that while we welcome all your pictures, we are more likely to use those which have been taken in the past week. Follow for more pictures on Instagram from BBC Birmingham, BBC Coventry & Warwickshire, BBC Hereford & Worcester, BBC Shropshire, BBC Stoke & Staffordshire and BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country
