Weekend thunderstorms may pose danger to life as Met Office warning upgraded
Heavy rain with some thunder could create 'fast flowing or deep floodwater, causing a danger to life' in the amber warning area, which spans the east and South East of England, including London, between 4am and 11am on Saturday.
Various yellow thunderstorm warnings are also in place in the UK between Friday morning and Saturday night.
Between 20 and 40mm of rain could fall in one hour in the amber warning zone, going up to 70 to 100mm in just a few hours where heavy downpours persist.
'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 that 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.
Buildings could be damaged by floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds, it added.
It is the first amber warning to be issued for London since January last year.
The first yellow thunderstorm warning comes into force at 11am on Friday until 8pm in the East Midlands, north-east England and Yorkshire.
Another yellow thunderstorm warning runs from 9pm to midnight on Friday in east and south-east England.
The warning expands to most of England and some parts of southern Scotland from midnight to 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.
Much of the UK will have a warm and humid start to Friday before the thunderstorms move in.
East Anglia and the South East will see 'notably high' temperatures – reaching 28C to 30C widely, and a corridor between London and the east coast could see them push up to 32C.
Chief Met Office 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 South East 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.'
He 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 persistent cloud and rain will keep the temperatures on Saturday relatively low.
Maximum temperatures will mainly stay in the high teens to low 20Cs, but brighter spells in the south could reach the mid to high 20s.
The most recent amber warning issued for London was for wind on January 2 2024, during Storm Henk which swept through central parts of England and Wales.
The AA has urged drivers to prepare for disruption and take care on the roads.
The breakdown service said: 'This amount of rain is well over a month's worth for a normal July.
'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.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
7 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Met Office warns 75mm of rain to fall TOMORROW as weather map reveals Scots to be drenched
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SCOTLAND'S time in the sun is set to come to an end this weekend with a weather map predicting a washout on Saturday. The Met Office are warning of a serious soaking for half of Scotland tomorrow. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Scots are set to be drenched tomorrow Credit: Tom Farmer 5 The Met Office warned up to 75mm of rain will fall Credit: Alamy 5 Some areas could be flooded Credit: Andrew Barr 5 A yellow rain warning is in place Credit: Met Office 5 A weather map has revealed the scale of the rainfall Credit: Met Office It's thought close to three inches of rain (75mm) could fall in a short space of time during the yellow warning period beginning 4pm and lasting until noon on Sunday. Warm air is moving up from England, leading to severe thunderstorms in the south. Here, forecasters say buildings could be damaged by floodwater and there is a slight chance power cuts could occur. The warning area covers most of the eastern half of the country, stretching as far west as Glasgow. The Met Office said: "Areas of heavy rain with isolated thunderstorms are expected to arrive from the south during Saturday afternoon, becoming persistent in places and leading to some large totals building up, particularly on southeast facing areas of high ground. "Many places are likely to see 20-30 mm, but some locations could see 50-75 mm in just a few hours." A weather map from the national forecaster shows the torrential rain moving north tomorrow. It will gradually move north through the afternoon and into Saturday night, leaving some brief rain spells in the early hours on Sunday. Weather have issued more warnings about the chaos the torrential downpours could cause. Some homes and businesses could be hit by power cuts caused by heavy rain. Watch shock moment rain pours through roof of busy Tesco in Dublin Some areas also have a small chance of being flooded. People on the roads could also see chaos from flooding. Bus, trains and ferry services could also be delayed or axed because of the bad weather. The Met Office added: "Check if your property could be at risk of flooding. "If so, consider preparing a flood plan and an emergency flood kit. Give yourself the best chance of avoiding delays by checking road conditions if driving, or bus and train timetables, amending your travel plans if necessary. "People cope better with power cuts when they have prepared for them in advance. "It's easy to do; consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items. "Be prepared for weather warnings to change quickly: when a weather warning is issued, the Met Office recommends staying up to date with the weather forecast in your area."
The Sun
8 minutes ago
- The Sun
Summer holiday travel warning as drivers brace for carnage on roads this weekend – with 1,000s ALREADY stuck in traffic
BRITS are facing a weekend of travel chaos amid a summer holiday travel warning for drivers. Thousands of families are already stuck in traffic as travellers have hit packed roads to getaway at the start of the longest school holiday of the year. The Met Office has issued a number of weather warnings between today and Monday, including an amber warning for thunderstorms for part of the UK. Motorists in the affected area have been warned of "torrential rain" which could lead to some "significant surface water flooding" on Saturday morning. The warning, in place from 4am until 11am on Saturday, covers much of south-east England, including large swathes of Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Hampshire, and London. The Met Office has warned that heavy rain could lead to "spray and sudden flooding" on roads. This, it warns, could then lead to "difficult driving conditions and some road closures". National Highways has advised drivers to take caution on the roads this weekend and frequently check traffic conditions. The Met Office has also said that the thunderstorms could lead to "some cancellations of train and bus services", causing misery for countless other travellers. There could also be "some damage to buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds" as well as a "danger to life" from "fast flowing or deep floodwater". The Met Office explained: "Areas of heavy rain with embedded thunderstorms will move northwards during the early hours of Saturday, with torrential downpours in places. "Accumulations of 20-40 mm are possible in 1 hour, and where heavy downpours persist then as much as 70-100 mm could accumulate in just a few hours. "Significant impacts are possible if this occurs over more urban areas. "The more widespread heavy rain should clear to the north during Saturday morning, but additional scattered heavy showers and a few thunderstorms could develop during Saturday afternoon and early evening, this risk covered by the much larger Yellow thunderstorm warning." The amber area is entirely encapsulated by a much larger yellow thunderstorm warning for the vast majority of England. Much of the country, excluding regions of the South West, is under the warning, which kicks in from midnight tonight until 9pm tomorrow. It warns of "heavy rain with some thunderstorms", which could lead to travel disruption and a possible "danger to life". More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun. 1
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
When Scotland will see sun again as UK hit with thunderstorm and rain warnings
It looks like it's going to be a typically unpredictable weekend, so you'd better have the brollies out if you're having a barbecue. Scotland has enjoyed some fine weather in recent weeks. Glasgow and the west had a heatwave last weekend, which was perfect for TRNSMT revellers at Glasgow Green. The hot spell came to an end with a deluge of downpours across Scotland early this week, with the rain showing little sign of letting up. And since then, things have been a bit mixed. The temperature gauges have still topped 20C at times, but there have been showers to contend with too. And the next few days appear like they're going to be typically unpredictable. Scotland has been issued with a two-day yellow weather warning for rain from the Met Office. The warning zone stretches the full length of the border with England and reaches as far north as Aviemore and Aberdeen. The entire east coast up to the Granite City is included, with all of Scotland's cities bar Inverness expected to be lashed with rain. The Met Office warning is in place from 4pm tomorrow, Saturday, July 19, until 12 noon on Sunday, July 20. According to the national forecaster, much of Scotland is likely to see 20-30mm of rain, but some spots could see 50-75 mm in just a few hours. Down south, there are several thunderstorm warnings in place over the coming days. The biggest of which covers all of England except from the south west, lasting from midnight until 9pm tomorrow. An additional amber warning is in place around London, stretching from Cambridge down to Brighton on the coast. Torrential rain, thunderstorms, and flooding are expect in this area between 4am and 11am tomorrow. Amidst all this doom and gloom, you'd be forgiven for thinking it's all bad news. But Scotland is actually in for some sunshine this weekend, perhaps surprisingly. In Edinburgh, despite the weather warning, sun is forecast to shine throughout Saturday morning - although showers are still predicted. Glasgow could be even brighter, with temperatures potentially sneaking into the 20s around lunchtime. And although the Central Belt is expecting heavy rain by the evening, our biggest cities will both still be in the high teens. On Sunday, things look even more promising. The Met Office alert is due to expire at noon and things look like they'll brighten up almost immediately. There will still be some showers, but Glaswegians are forecast to enjoy temperatures of 23C, just one degree warmer than those at the other end of the M8 in Edinburgh. It's a similar story in Dundee, with the City of Discovery expecting highs of 21C on Sunday afternoon thanks to the appearance of the sun. For Aberdeen, however, it looks like it'll be a grey weekend, perhaps fittingly for the Granite City, with the sun not likely to shine much at all. Anyone living in the capital of the Highlands is in for a bit of a treat. Avoiding the Met Office warning zone looks like a bonus, with only limited showers in Inverness this weekend. And the city looks set to enjoy high temperatures for the next few days, with highs in the 20s all week - including a peak of 24C on Thursday, July, 24. 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. "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.' 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'.
