South-east England braces for 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 Jan 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.
⚠️⚠️ Amber weather warning issued ⚠️⚠️
Torrential, thundery rain across parts of southeast England
Saturday 0400 - 1100
Latest info 👉 https://t.co/QwDLMfRBfs
Stay #WeatherAware ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/BVzZAcVCco
— Met Office (@metoffice) July 18, 2025
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 c 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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Will Scotland see the next 32C heatwave headed for the UK?
More piping weather is headed for Britain It's safe to say that Scots have seen some mixed weather recently, with a scorching heatwave earlier in the month followed by several bouts of storms and downpours last weekend. But according to weather charts, another scorcher is headed for the UK, and while Scotland won't get all of the sun, we're set to see a welcome change from the recent drizzle. A three-day heatwave is headed for the UK at the start of next month, mostly affecting down south. WX Charts predicts a scorcher from August 5 to August 7, were southern temperatures could see a peak of 32C, which was also the maximum mercury in Scotland during the last heatwave. But as the south basks in piping temperatures, will we Scots get another chance to sunbathe? We definitely won't see heatwave conditions, but we should expect some sunny spells and comfortably warm temperatures for the same week. While Scots may not see quite as tropical temperatures as southern England, we can expect some heat just before the coming sunny spell hits the rest of the UK. On Sunday, August 3, WX Charts predicts some toasty temperatures peaking at 22C in the east of the country, stretching from the Central Belt all the way up to the top of the Highlands. Monday, August 4 is to see more warm temperatures, even if they're not heatwave worthy. On this day, the mercury is to reach the same max of 22C around Glasgow, with much of the country seeing warm weather ranging in the mid to high teens. Temperatures are to remain similar for the rest of that week, with mild weather reaching a peak of around 21C, while England sizzles in much hotter conditions. The Met Office's long-range forecast for July 29 - August 7 says: "The highest chance of drier and sunnier weather is expected across southern and eastern parts of the country. "Through the period, high pressure may start to have greater influence as it builds northeast across the country. This bringing more prolonged settled spells to many areas. Breeziest conditions across the north of the country. "Temperatures generally near average though with some warmer spells likely." The coming period of more settled weather comes after consistently erratic conditions have been seen across the country over the past few weeks. Earlier this month, Scots saw a scorching heatwave with the mercury breaking 32C, a temperature that has only been seen six times in Scotland since 1961. Scots basked in weather reaching as high as 32.2C two weeks ago in Aviemore, where the hottest Scottish day since 2023 was recorded on Saturday, July 12. Last weekend then saw several yellow thunderstorm and rainfall warnings for much of the UK, when heavy downpours drenched the country, even though temperatures were still in the high teens for most of Scotland. The Met Office warned of widespread disruption, including some damage to buildings and a small chance of danger to life, which are all consequences associated with a yellow thunderstorm warning. These erratic and changeable conditions come as the Met Office issued a warning that climate change is turning extreme weather into a 'new normal' for the UK, as angry storms, flash flooding and searing temperatures become all the more frequent. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Reuters
19 hours ago
- Reuters
Danish police evacuate music festival amid heavy rain
COPENHAGEN, July 24 (Reuters) - Danish police evacuated a music festival on Thursday and warned people in the west coast city of Esbjerg to stay indoors amid flooding caused by a cloudburst. "Heavy rain came and we assessed that it was necessary to shut down the concert," a police spokesperson said. Police had initiated the evacuation of some 20,000 people, he said, adding there were no reports of injuries. Festival organisers said on Facebook that the rest of Thursday's programme would be cancelled due to safety concerns. Broadcasters DR and TV showed images of cars in Esbjerg that were partly submerged, and people wading through water in the city of around 71,500 inhabitants. "It is advised against going outside. Unnecessary driving is discouraged," the police said in a post on social media X. Several parts of the Scandinavian region are currently subject to flood warnings.
BBC News
20 hours ago
- BBC News
New steps to prevent future flooding in Rotherham
A new team of volunteer flood wardens are being trained and flood prevention kits have been handed out in parts of than 250 homes were flooded in Catcliffe and Treeton in October 2023, when Storm Babet wreaked havoc across have been described as the "the eyes and ears of the community" during bad weather, while the Aqua Packs are said to provide an easy-to-store alternative to traditional packs were handed out during a drop-in session at the Chapel Walk Neighbourhood Centre, where 73 homes, along with the local café, shop, and hairdressers, received supplies. With the backing of Rotherham Council and the Environment Agency, residents have also been are developing a formal community flood plan and learning how to act quickly and support others in sessions, held at Catcliffe Memorial Hall, have equipped volunteers with key knowledge about flood risks and response strategies, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. "Flood Wardens play a crucial role in keeping people safe," said a member of the training team. "They're a friendly and reassuring presence, helping to share information and offer support when it's most needed." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
