Amber weather warning as thunderstorms bring threat of flooding
The warning was issued by the Met Office for London, parts of the south and south east of England from 4am to 11am on Saturday.
It is the first amber warning issued for London since January 2 2024, when Storm Henk brought strong winds to central parts of England and Wales.
The Met Office warned that between 20mm and 40mm of rain could fall in one hour in the warning zone, rising to between 70mm and 100mm in just a few hours where heavy downpours persist.
Storms could cause flooding and pose a danger to life in some areas, the forecaster said, while buildings could be damaged by floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds.
The warning says heavy rain could create 'fast flowing or deep floodwater, causing a danger to life'.
'Torrential rain, with thunderstorms in places, could lead to some significant surface water flooding during Saturday morning,' the Met Office said.
An ongoing deluge may cause 'significant impacts' if it hits 'more urban areas'.
It is likely homes and businesses will flood, and that flooding could happen quickly, the Met Office said, adding that some communities may be cut off if roads flood.
The affected area is also covered by a yellow warning for thunderstorms, which came into place for the north of England, Midlands and eastern half of the country from midnight and runs until 9pm on Saturday.
Forecasters said these storms could 'cause disruption in places'.
'Areas of heavy rain with embedded thunderstorms will move north-westwards across a large swathe of central and eastern England through Friday night into Saturday,' the Met Office said.
It added: 'Rain will likely be torrential in places, bringing 20-30mm in less than an hour, with 60-90 mm in two to three hours possible in a few places.'
Frequent lightning and localised surface water flooding are also possible.
A further yellow rain warning covers the eastern side of Scotland from Aberdeen to the borders from 4pm on Saturday until noon on Sunday, when another comes into place for Cornwall and much of Devon until 3am on Monday.
Chief Met Office meteorologist Andy Page said: 'Intense rainfall will impact parts of the UK as thunderstorms move in from France.
'This weekend is expected to be busy on the roads as more schools in England and Wales break up for the summer holidays, so it's important people keep up to date with the very latest forecast.
'There will be spells of more pleasant weather in parts of the UK through the weekend, with some sunny spells in between systems as they move through.'
The persistent cloud and rain will keep the temperatures on Saturday relatively low.
Maximum temperatures will mainly stay in the high teens to low 20s, but brighter spells in the south could reach the mid to high 20s.
The AA has urged drivers to prepare for disruption and take care on the roads.
National Rail advised passengers to check the service before they travel and allow extra time for their journeys, with speed restrictions possible in affected areas.
The weather is expected to remain unsettled on Sunday with showers or longer spells of rain, some of it heavy and thundery.
Unsettled conditions are forecast to last until next week before showers ease by Wednesday.
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