Month's worth of rain falls on London and South East as Met Office issues amber thunderstorm alert - while millions face hosepipe ban

Daily Mail​

a day ago

A month's worth of rain is set to fall on London and the south East today, with the Met Office issuing an amber thunderstorm alert for the region.
Intense thunderstorms and torrential rain could cause flooding and even pose a danger to life in some areas, while buildings are at risk of being damaged by floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds.
Issued from 4am to 11am, the warning comes amid fears that up to 4in (100mm) of rainfall could occur in just a few hours - equivalent to more than a month's worth of rain.
It marks the first amber warning issued for the capital in 18 months after Storm Henk battered England and Wales with strong winds in January 2024.
Millions of people across major towns and cities are set to be impacted by the intense bouts of rainfall, including those in London, Brighton, Portsmouth, Chelmsford, St Albans and Cambridge.
It comes as the second major hosepipe ban came into force yesterday, with restrictions activated by South East Water for 1.4million people across Kent and Sussex in Ashford, Canterbury, Eastbourne, Maidstone, Haywards Heath and Tunbridge Wells.
Yorkshire Water became the first major water firm to bring in a ban last Friday - and Southern Water restrictions will start in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight from Monday.
Then from Tuesday, Thames Water will bring in a ban for customers in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, most of Wiltshire and some parts of Berkshire - but not London.
Meteorologists fear that the heavy rain will not make a major difference to the ground because surfaces are extremely dry and will therefore not absorb much water.
Forecasters have warned that the 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 also cause 'significant impacts' if it hits 'more urban areas'.
Homes and businesses are likely to be battered by floods, and that flooding could happen quickly, with some communities at risk of being cut off if roads flood.
The Met Office added that the warning area 'includes London which is particularly susceptible to surface water issues during thunderstorms due to the high proportion of impermeable surfaces'.
Forecasters said that within this area, 20 to 40mm of rain could fall in an hour, with up to 70mm to 100mm accumulating in just a few hours, adding: 'If these higher totals fall over urban areas, there could be notable impacts.'
The persistent cloud and rain means that temperatures across the UK are expected to be relatively low, remaining mainly in the high teens to low 20s, though brighter spells in the south could potentially reach the mid to high 20s.
Homes and businesses are likely to be battered by floods, and that flooding could happen quickly, with some communities at risk of being cut off if roads flood
Saturday, July 19, rainfall forecast across the UK. Millions of people across major towns and cities are set to be impacted by the intense bouts of rainfall, including those in London, Brighton, Portsmouth, Chelmsford, St Albans and Cambridge
A yellow warning for thunderstorms has also been issued for the north of England, Midlands and eastern half of the country from midnight, running until 9pm on Saturday.
That warning area also covers the Greater Manchester region, where Oasis are playing another comeback gig at Heaton Park tonight.
With storms set to cause 'disruption', the Met Office added: '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.
'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.
In Scotland, a yellow rain warning covers the eastern side from Aberdeen to the borders from 4pm on Saturday until noon on Sunday.
A further warning is then set to comes into place for Cornwall and much of Devon until 3am on Monday.
Chief Met Office meteorologist Andy Page warned that 'intense rainfall' is set to hit the UK, adding that the weekend is also 'expected to be busy on the roads' as more schools in England and Wales finish for the summer holidays.
The Met Office added that the warning area 'includes London which is particularly susceptible to surface water issues during thunderstorms due to the high proportion of impermeable surfaces' for South East England tomorrow, from 4am to 11am
Where are the hosepipe bans in the UK in 2025?
Yorkshire Water - all 5.7million customers, since July 11
South East Water - 1.4million customers in Ashford, Canterbury, Eastbourne, Maidstone, Haywards Heath and Royal Tunbridge Wells, from July 18
Southern Water - 1million customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, from July 21
Thames Water - 1.1million customers in OX, GL, SN, RG4, RG8 and RG9, from July 22
He said: '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 AA has urged drivers to prepare for disruption and take care on the roads, with the breakdown service stating that 'this amount of rain is well over a month's worth for a normal July'.
They added: 'As well as heavy rain, impacts from frequent lightning, gusty winds and large hail are also likely.
'These storms could affect some of the popular holiday routes for early departures on this year's summer getaway.
'While localised flash flooding and the sudden appearance of surface water are the usual dangers associated with summer heavy rain, the potential for slippery road surfaces at junctions and roundabouts is a hidden menace.'
National Rail also 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.
But, certain parts of the UK are set to experience bouts of warm weather and brighter, drier spells throughout the weekend, particularly in the East and South East of England.
Alex Burkill, meteorologist at the Met Office, warned that the high temperatures could become 'quite uncomfortable' in some parts of the country.
He said: 'In the south and east, there is further chance of staying dry and some decent sunshine on offer.
'So there's a lot of heat around, high humidity as well, quite uncomfortable for some of us.
'As we go into the weekend, with the heat and the humidity, there's a fairly strong chance that we are going to see some heavy, thundery rain, feeding up from the south.
That is likely to become pretty widespread across much of the country as we go through Saturday and into Sunday.'
Unsettled conditions are forecast to last until next week before showers ease by Wednesday.
Temperatures will be warm depending on the sunshine and conditions may settle by mid-week with showers still in the east.
On July 11, South East Water announced its hosepipe ban as the ongoing dry weather and hot temperatures across England have resulted in record-breaking water demand.
The firm said the ban means customers in Kent and Sussex will not be able to use hosepipes for activities such as watering gardens and washing cars, windows and patios, or filling swimming and paddling pools.
Enforced from yesterday and until further notice, those who ignore the ban face fines of up to £1,000.
But there was disbelief from some residents, including one who tweeted: 'Since I heard of a hosepipe ban in Kent a few days ago, I have passed no less than three underground pipes that appear to have broken, and water has been coming out, on main roads.'
Another tweeted: 'Water leak on Batts Bridge Road, Uckfield. Water leak in London Road, Burgess Hill. And yet we are subject to a hosepipe ban. What a shambles.'
In response, South East Water wrote: 'We understand it's frustrating to see leaks when there's a hosepipe ban. We're seeing record demand for drinking water in Kent and Sussex.'
Rosie Duffield, the independent MP for Canterbury in Kent, said at the time of South East Water's announcement last week that a hosepipe ban had been 'inevitable' after supply issues had already impacted some areas.
She added: 'Alongside many residents, I am angry as to why this was not called earlier to help prevent the unacceptable shortages and disruption suffered by many in our area.'
South East Water said in a statement last week: 'Demand for drinking water in Kent and Sussex has reached record levels since May – with the ongoing warm and dry weather, we're all using far more water than usual.
'This situation has left us with no choice but to restrict the use of hosepipes and sprinklers, so we can help our reservoirs and underground water storage recover.
'We also continue to monitor the situation in our Western region, where we serve customers in parts of Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire.'
Under the ban, customers will only be allowed to use a hosepipe when it is required for unavoidable health or safety reasons, for the welfare of animals – including fish – and if the hosepipe is not connected to mains water supply, according to the water company.
It comes after all four UK nations experienced their warmest spring on record this year, with England experiencing its driest spring since 1893 and the driest start to the year since 1976.
June also marked England's warmest on record, with average temperatures hitting a balmy 16.9°C - the highest recorded since the series began in 1884.
Last month was also the second warmest on record for the UK, which saw an average temperature of 15.2°C.
Across June, two heatwaves were confirmed across England and Wales - one in the third week of the month, and the second closing out the month.
Rainfall across England was also 20 per cent less than the long-term average for June, which was also the hottest on record for the country, with two heatwaves driving unusually high demand for water, the Environment Agency has said.
Drought was declared in East and West Midlands on Tuesday, with the region joining swathes of northern England in drought status.
Looking ahead, the UK is likely to see more frequent and intense heatwaves, according to the Met Office.
Just last month, the Met Office's research showed that the chances of hitting 40°C are climbing at pace.