'Danger to life' weather warning for thunderstorms set to hit UK
An amber weather warning for thunderstorms has been issued for parts of the UK tonight.
The hot and humid weather expected throughout Friday will end in "beefy showers" in many areas, the Met Office warned.
Its amber alert comes into force from 8pm and affects parts of the east of England, from Norfolk down to East Sussex.
The forecaster said "fast flowing or deep floodwater is likely, causing danger to life".
Cambridge is forecast to reach 29C (84F), while temperatures are expected to reach 27C in Canterbury and 25C in Nottingham and Durham.
A yellow warning was also issued for a broader stretch of the South, including London, starting from 7pm.
But a yellow warning across an even greater area will kick in on Saturday, covering most of Scotland, Wales, the west of England and the North East.
It is in place from midnight tonight until 6pm on Saturday.
A yellow warning brings a small risk of power cuts, flash flooding, hail and people being cut off, according to the Met Office.
In Scotland, Aviemore could see highs of 24C (75F) today.
Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said much of Friday would be "hot and humid" with a "small chance" the mercury could hit 30C.
Temperatures that high would make today the hottest day of 2025, surpassing the 29.3C recorded at Kew Gardens in west London on 1 May.
It means parts of the UK could be hotter than Ibiza, Mykonos and Los Angeles.
Mr Deakin said "beefy showers" were expected on Friday in Wales and the west of England after a "humid start to what will be a very warm day for some on Friday".
He warned of hail, gusty wind and the possibility of flooding as the skies cloud over this afternoon and into the evening.
While some areas covered by the warnings may end up avoiding the worst of the severe weather, some places could see torrential rain of 30-50mm in a very short space of time, before the weather begins to settle on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued its first yellow heat-health alert of the year, active until 8am on Sunday in the east of England, East Midlands, London, and the South East.
Under the UKHSA and the Met Office's weather-health alerting system, a yellow alert means there could be an increased use of healthcare services by vulnerable people.
A yellow alert warns of a possible spike in vulnerable people accessing healthcare, and health risks for the over 65s and those with conditions like respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
While scientists have not assessed the role of global warming in this short term event, in general they expect more heavy downpours as the climate changes.
That's largely because hotter air can hold more moisture, and so releases more water when it rains.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
BBC Look East off air after Norwich studio damaged by storm
Storm damage has forced broadcasts of Look East's weekend bulletins off air, after rainwater damaged technical equipment in the regional TV lights and other equipment were affected by the water leaking into the TV studio, based at The Forum in Norwich, following a thunderstorm in the early hours of evening bulletin at 17:40 BST was unable to be transmitted and a combined regional service will come from the BBC London studio until further notice."Rainwater has got into the Look East studio affecting technical equipment," said a BBC spokesperson. "While repairs are made Look East will share TV bulletins with BBC London - with stories from both regions. "We hope to be back up and running soon."The water is believed to have leaked through the ceiling in the city centre and online newsroom operations, also based at The Forum, have been unaffected. Sunday's broadcast of Politics East also went ahead as Look East covers Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire and Suffolk. Several shops in Norwich city centre were also affected on Saturday by the aftermath of the John Lewis on All Saints Street, ladies' clothes rails were spotted pushed to one side of the store and covered in in Marks and Spencer were also warned by staff that the ground floor had been disrupted.A company spokeswoman said: "Our store on Rampant Horse [Street] only saw a small impact and was open for trading today as normal." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
The 3 essential tasks gardeners should be doing this month to avoid £1000 fine during a hosepipe ban
Scroll down to find out how long the UK's longest hosepipe ban lasted THIRST TRAP The 3 essential tasks gardeners should be doing this month to avoid £1000 fine during a hosepipe ban Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) GARDENERS are being warned of a potential hosepipe ban this summer, after UK temperatures soared throughout spring. According to the Met Office, 2025 saw the sunniest spring since records began, with temperatures reaching 29 degrees in early May. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Gardeners are being warned of a potential hosepipe ban this summer Credit: Alamy However, although Brits across the country have enjoyed revelling in the unusually balmy weather, the heat has led to a drought in the northwest of England. The high temperatures have also led Thames Water to share a warning to customers about potential restrictions to water usage. The chief executive of the water company, Chris Weston, said that whilst he doesn't think they will run out of water, they may have to curb customer usage. He added that Thames Water has "learned its lesson" after the company almost ran out of water in 2022. Read more garden stories LOOK AT THAT Bargain hunters flock to Dunelm for huge 50% off garden furniture sale 'I am confident that we won't run out of water,' he told a committee of MPs. 'I am not confident that we won't have to restrict usage because that will depend on what the weather does and what rainfall happens between now and the summer.' This could mean gardeners could be banned from using their hosepipes for watering the garden. What happens during a hosepipe ban? When a Temporary Usage Ban, or hosepipe ban is put in place by a water company, customers are not allowed to use hoses for watering flowers, washing cars, or for water fights. Instead they are encouraged to use watering cans or buckets for any outside tasks that require water. If you breach the ban, you could face a fine of up to £1000. I didn't want to waste water during the hosepipe ban but figured a savvy way to still keep my garden watered How to preserve water ahead of a hosepipe ban To conserve water, ahead of a potential ban, there are three essential task that gardeners should do. Firstly, you can use water butts to collect rainwater. You can also try watering plants in the morning or late in the evening, when the water doesn't get evaporated as quickly. In the home, you can help to conserve water by having quicker showers, and making sure the tap is turned off when you brush your teeth. How to keep cool in a heatwave Most of us welcome hot weather, but when it's too hot, there are health risks. Here are three ways to keep cool according to the NHS... Keep out of the heat if you can. If you have to go outside, stay in the shade especially between 11am and 3pm, wear sunscreen, a hat and light clothes, and avoid exercise or activity that makes you hotter. Cool yourself down. Have cold food and drinks, avoid alcohol, caffeine and hot drinks, and have a cool shower or put cool water on your skin or clothes. Keep your living space cool. Close windows during the day and open them at night when the temperature outside has gone down. Electric fans can help if the temperature is below 35 degrees. Check the temperature of rooms, especially where people at higher risk live and sleep. When did the UK last have a hosepipe ban? Back in June 2023, South East Water implemented a hosepipe ban that affected parts of Kent and Sussex. The ban was lifted in July, after a rainy period of weather. In 2022, five water companies imposed hosepipe bans on a total of 19 million people, after a long period of hot weather. The longest hosepipe ban in the UK was in 1976, when restrictions where in place for 98 days, from June to October. An exceptionally hot summer led to extreme drought which affected most of southern England. During the ban, water use was limited to essential activities such as drinking, cooking and washing.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
The 3 essential tasks gardeners should be doing this month to avoid £1000 fine during a hosepipe ban
GARDENERS are being warned of a potential hosepipe ban this summer, after UK temperatures soared throughout spring. According to the Met Office, 2025 saw the sunniest spring since records began, with temperatures reaching 29 degrees in early May. 1 However, although Brits across the country have enjoyed revelling in the unusually balmy weather, the heat has led to a drought in the northwest of England. The high temperatures have also led Thames Water to share a warning to customers about potential restrictions to water usage. The chief executive of the water company, Chris Weston, said that whilst he doesn't think they will run out of water, they may have to curb customer usage. He added that Thames Water has "learned its lesson" after the company almost ran out of water in 2022. 'I am confident that we won't run out of water,' he told a committee of MPs. 'I am not confident that we won't have to restrict usage because that will depend on what the weather does and what rainfall happens between now and the summer.' This could mean gardeners could be banned from using their hosepipes for watering the garden. What happens during a hosepipe ban? When a Temporary Usage Ban, or hosepipe ban is put in place by a water company, customers are not allowed to use hoses for watering flowers, washing cars, or for water fights. Instead they are encouraged to use watering cans or buckets for any outside tasks that require water. If you breach the ban, you could face a fine of up to £1000. I didn't want to waste water during the hosepipe ban but figured a savvy way to still keep my garden watered How to preserve water ahead of a hosepipe ban To conserve water, ahead of a potential ban, there are three essential task that gardeners should do. Firstly, you can use water butts to collect rainwater. You can also try watering plants in the morning or late in the evening, when the water doesn't get evaporated as quickly. In the home, you can help to conserve water by having quicker showers, and making sure the tap is turned off when you brush your teeth. How to keep cool in a heatwave Most of us welcome hot weather, but when it's too hot, there are health risks. Here are three ways to keep cool according to the NHS... Keep out of the heat if you can. If you have to go outside, stay in the shade especially between 11am and 3pm, wear sunscreen, a hat and light clothes, and avoid exercise or activity that makes you hotter. Cool yourself down. Have cold food and drinks, avoid alcohol, caffeine and hot drinks, and have a cool shower or put cool water on your skin or clothes. Keep your living space cool. Close windows during the day and open them at night when the temperature outside has gone down. Electric fans can help if the temperature is below 35 degrees. Check the temperature of rooms, especially where people at higher risk live and sleep. When did the UK last have a hosepipe ban? Back in June 2023, South East Water implemented a hosepipe ban that affected parts of Kent and Sussex. The ban was lifted in July, after a rainy period of weather. In 2022, five water companies imposed hosepipe bans on a total of 19 million people, after a long period of hot weather. The longest hosepipe ban in the UK was in 1976, when restrictions where in place for 98 days, from June to October. An exceptionally hot summer led to extreme drought which affected most of southern England. During the ban, water use was limited to essential activities such as drinking, cooking and washing.
