Amber warning for torrential rain and thunder issued as UK hit by downpours
All of London, Brighton and parts of Cambridge have been issued an amber alert with forecasters fearing torrential rain and flooding.
The warning is in place from 4am to 11am today, with 20-40mm of rain expected too fall in an hour, and up to 70-100mm accumulating in just a few hours.
Meanwhile the majority of England is under a yellow warning for thunderstorms until 9pm today.
The wet weather is expected to lead to disruption such as road closures and power cuts.
Parts of Scotland, including Edinburgh and Aberdeen, has been issued a separate yellow warning for rain from 4pm today until 12pm tomorrow.
Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Andy Page, said: 'Intense rainfall will impact parts of the UK as thunderstorms move in from France.
'A range of severe weather warnings have been issued, including an Amber warning covering southeast England and London. The intense rainfall could lead to surface water flooding as well as frequent lightning and hail too.
'The situation is evolving, and warnings may be changed or added. 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 wet weather is expected to continue all weekend, with widespread showers forecast on Sunday.
The last Amber warning issued over London was for wind on 2 January 2024 when Storm Henk brought very strong winds across central parts of England and Wales.
Wales, Cornwall, Merseyside, Devon, Somerset, Dorset and the Scottish border are forecast to avoid the worst of the stormy weather.
The wet weather comes just in time as regions across the UK declare drought and enter into hosepipe bans.
So far, South East Water and Yorkshire Water hosepipe bans are in effect, while Thames Water and Southern Water's bans will begin next week.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: Banksy's manager reveals the central London building hiding his 'unseen' artwork
MORE: Coward who murdered ex's 'gentle' dad in 'revenge' for break-up jailed for life
MORE: 5 areas within commuting distance of London with prices under £400,000
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
8 minutes ago
- Sky News
Parts of UK could see half a month's rainfall in next 24 hours
Parts of the UK could see half a month's rainfall in the next 24 hours, with lightening, hail and gusty winds also forecast. Much of Scotland, Northern Ireland, large parts of western England, and all of Wales will remain under yellow weather warnings until 10pm tonight. Another set of yellow warnings for thunderstorms will come in tomorrow, covering the southeast of England, the Midlands, the north of England, a small part of North Wales, and most of Scotland. Those warnings are due to last until 9pm on Monday. In Northern Ireland, a warning for thunderstorms for western areas is in place until 8pm today, while a rain warning is in place for eastern areas from 6pm tonight until 6pm Monday. Simon Partridge, Met Office forecaster, said: "It looks like Northern Ireland is the place where we could see the most rainfall and certainly the most impactful rainfall. "They could see 50 to 75mm of rain within 12 to 18 hours." The country records an average of 89mm of rain in July, meaning more than half a month's rainfall could hit Northern Ireland in less than a day. It follows a period of already intense rainfall. Saturday's rain brought 47.2mm to Surrey's Charlwood - close to a month's worth. From 5pm yesterday to 1pm today, Scotland's Aboyne recorded 47.6mm. Over the next few days, flooding is possible, with more than 10 flood alerts active in Scotland. There is also a small chance of power cuts and a small chance of fast-flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life. But even within the warning areas some places will stay dry, the Met Office said. "One bit of good news is that it has been very muggy overnight. Tonight will be less muggy across the southern half of the UK," Mr Partridge said. Will the warm weather return? Next week the weather will remain unsettled, with further thundery downpours across Britain, particularly in the south. Daytime temperatures will be average, becoming milder overnight. But as we head into next month there is "only a small chance of hot spells" between 25 July and 3 August, the Met Office says in its long-range forecast. But warmer weather may return as the month wears on. "There are signs that high pressure to the southwest may try to extend its influence across the UK, which could bring more in the way of dry, settled weather as we head further into August," the weather forecaster says. "Temperatures will likely continue to be near or above average overall, with a continuing chance of some very warm or hot spells, especially in the south and east, if high pressure wins out for a decent stretch of time."
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Brit drivers told to pack seven emergency items in their car before 3am
Drivers have been issued travel advice following six yellow warnings for thunderstorms and rain across parts of the UK. The conditions should dampen England from 3am on Monday Brits have been urged to pack seven emergency items in their cars as the UK is set to be hit with half a month's rainfall in the next 24 hours. Drivers travelling to work in the morning have been told to brace themselves as six weather warnings for rain and thunderstorms have been put in place. Sadly, fierce conditions will strike parts of the country, with flooding, lightning and hail. As part of the alerts, Brits have been told to expect travel disruption across areas in the UK with Northen Ireland expected to be hit the worst. "You will see quite a lot of water on the roads and difficult driving conditions," warned Met Office forecaster Simon Partridge. According to Autotrader, the best way to minimise the impact is by preparing for traffic and bringing items including a phone charger, water and jump leads. Much of Scotland, northern England, Wales and the south-west of England remain under yellow weather warnings until 10pm on Sunday, where localised flooding remains possible. Eastern parts of Northern Ireland are covered by a 24-hour weather warning, from 6pm on Sunday until 6pm on Monday, where heavy rain is expected to cause some disruption and the possibility of flooding. Mr Partridge said: "It looks like Northern Ireland is the place where we could see the most rainfall and certainly the most impactful rainfall. They could see 50 to 75mm of rain within 12 to 18 hours." The country records an average of 89mm of rain in July, meaning more than half a month's rainfall could hit Northern Ireland in less than a day. Flooding is also possible, the Met Office said, and parts of England and Scotland may also see 20-40mm of rain in just two hours on Monday. From 3am until 9pm on Monday, the south and east of England are covered by a yellow thunderstorm warning. By 11am the same warning will be in place for the Midlands, northern England and Scotland. More than 10 flood alerts remain active in Scotland and where there is flooding or lightning the Met Office has warned of a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services. There is also a small chance of power cuts and a small chance of fast-flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life. "Certainly a significant amount rainfall in a couple of hours, which will bring some local issues," Mr Partridge said. 'You will see quite a lot of water on the roads and difficult driving conditions. Hopefully nothing more significant than that, it certainly won't be an issue for any of the rivers because they are quite low." Low pressure and humid, moist air across the country will cause the heavy, thundery showers, but even within the warning areas some places will stay dry. "There is a good chance of seeing some lightning and some hail, with some gusty winds as well," Mr Partridge said. 'One bit of good news is it has been very muggy overnight. Tonight will be less muggy across the southern half of the UK.' The rest of the week is set to be changeable, with showers still likely on Tuesday and heavy, thundery showers possible in the south-east of England on Wednesday. Temperatures this week will hover around average for the time of year, the national weather service said. Keep these seven items in your cars Protein bars Torch Hi-vis clothes Jump leads Ice scraper Water Phone charger
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Exact time thunderstorms to batter Scotland with 15 flood alerts & danger to life warning in place
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ENGLISH heat will spark Scottish lightning tomorrow as the heatwave down south ignites dramatic thunderstorms north of the border. The atmosphere is being warmed by high temperatures in England, pushing a series of weather systems northwards. 5 Torrential rain is set to batter Scotland this week Credit: Getty 5 The heavy rain and thunderstorms could cause travel chaos Credit: Alamy 5 The Met Office has issued several yellow warnings for thunderstorms Credit: MET OFFICE 5 And SEPA has issued 15 flood alerts Credit: PA After clammy conditions today, a 10-hour yellow warning for rain is in place for most of Scotland tomorrow lasting from 11am until 9pm. This time, a danger is expected to come from lightning strikes. The Met Office say there is also a small chance of fast-flowing or deep floodwater causing 'a danger to life.' The environment agency SEPA has 15 flood alerts in place, all the way from Aberdeenshire in the north to Dumfries and Galloway in the south. The Met Office warning for today states: "Scattered heavy showers and thunderstorms are expected on Monday. 'Rainfall amounts will vary from place to place, but in some locations, 20-40 mm (one and a half inches) is possible within a couple of hours. Heavy downpours of rain will be the primary hazard, but lightning strikes are also likely, along with the potential for hail and gusty winds The Met Office warning 'Heavy downpours of rain will be the primary hazard, but lightning strikes are also likely, along with the potential for hail and gusty winds.' Forecasters say buildings could be damaged by floodwater, and there is a slight chance that power cuts could occur. The warning area covers most of the country, save for western coastal spots including the Western Isles and the Northern Isles, northern Scotland and the far east coast. With some parts of the country historically dry, the surface soil could be firm, which can cause issues with surface water flooding. Met Office issues yellow warning for thunderstorms and flash floods today with up to 90mm of rain The rain can simply run off very quickly rather than being able to soak in. This can lead to the rainfall not being what the Met Office describe as 'useful' rainfall, as it moves on before it has much benefit. However, torrential rain in the east of Scotland may just have arrived in time to stave off water restrictions, due to be imposed this week. Environment watchdogs SEPA say a number of areas are approaching 'significant scarcity' water, the trigger for imposing legal restrictions on farmers, distilleries and operators of golf courses. The government agency said last week that water restrictions are likely to be imposed within days after very low rainfall in the east coast of Scotland. Measures could include limiting or temporarily suspending abstractions where necessary. SEPA's latest Water Scarcity Report, published last Thursday, shows that eight river catchments remain at 'moderate scarcity' – the Spey, Deveron, Ythan, Don in Aberdeenshire, Dee in Aberdeen, Esk, Firth of Tay and Tyne Lothian. Meanwhile, the Findhorn, Firth of Forth and Helmsdale catchments are at 'alert'. Shops brought to a halt HEAVY downpours over the weekend have wrecked havoc on buildings and buisnesses, with many being flooded by the torrential rain. Today, one farm shop and butchery in Crossford, Lanarkshire, was brought to a halt after being flooded. Tills stopped working inside Overton Farm Shop and customers could ot be served after the rain caused water to get inside. Videos show a huge pool of water forming outside the store today as torrential rain thundered down. Cars were seen parked just a few feet away from the massive puddles as shoppers struggled to get in and out of the shop. Chris Dailly, SEPA's Head of Environmental Performance (Geographic), said: 'These rivers are approaching critical environmental thresholds following months of sustained low rainfall. 'Autumn 2024 was one of the driest in 100 years, followed by a dry spring – the second driest in a century for the east. 'Many catchments in eastern Scotland are seeing their lowest river flows for decades, with some stations recording record or near-record lows for spring and early summer.' Hosepipe bans have already been imposed on millions of people living in large areas of England, with restrictions expected to last until winter. Scottish Water says they have not sought drought orders from the Scottish Government, which would affect domestic supplies. Reservoirs are currently sitting at 79 per cent capacity, five per cent below the average for this time of year.
