
BREAKING NEWS Danger to life warning as thunderstorms are set to batter Britain: Met Office issues amber alert for 'significant' flooding and up to FOUR inches of rain in London and South East
An amber warning for thunderstorms has been issued for between 4am and 11am spanning major towns and cities including London, Brighton, Portsmouth, Chelmsford, St Albans and Cambridge.
Forecasters have warned of sudden flooding in roads and homes with some more remote communities at risk of being cut off, while delays to train and bus services are also likely.
Power cuts could also occur and buildings are at risk of damage from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail and strong winds.
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.'
More to follow
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Sky News
2 hours ago
- Sky News
Rising costs and tight budgets mean school trips are under threat - even though some kids have never seen the sea
Why you can trust Sky News It was an escape from the everyday and a glimpse of a world beyond the classroom. Children from Rockliffe Manor Primary School in Plumstead, south London, headed for a day of seaside fun at Broadstairs Beach in Kent. Some of them had never been to a beach before, and some had never even seen the sea. I was invited to join the teachers and pupils on the trip. Teachers were armed with first aid kits and the necessary supplies, including lunches and suncream. Children in Year 1 arrived in their swimming costumes, with Spiderman and Minecraft ones being particularly popular. The swimming costumes proved to be rather problematic when the children were told they needed to visit the toilets before embarking on the coach. They came armed with their buckets, spades and lilos. The children were beside themselves with excitement, and it took an army of adults to get them there. One parent said her son had been up since 5am because he was so excited about going to the seaside. That sense of wonder is why 83% of parents say school trips help shape their child's future. But with rising costs and shrinking school budgets, more of these opportunities are falling away. A recent report said 94% of parents have been forced to cut back on spending due to the cost of living crisis. As the tide rolled in and buckets filled with wet sand, the beach buzzed with energy. Children chased each other through shallow pools, buried their teachers up to their knees, and shrieked with delight every time a wave got too close. Andrea Braithwaite, a parent on the trip, said: "Sometimes parents don't necessarily have the means to get to places like this. We live in London, so it takes organisation, maybe they haven't got the time off work." There was giggling on the coach, and the sheer joy could be felt everywhere. There were storybooks for the long journey. But once we got to the beach, the carefully orchestrated schedule that I was sent went out the window. The children were in their element. Miss Roper, one of the teachers, asked the children if they were ready to go into the water. "Yes!" they all screamed. They all ran in - and some stayed in the water until much later in the afternoon. They just couldn't get enough. Ms Braithwaite said: "It's difficult to even have a swimming costume. You might not be able to have those things for their children so it's really good that the school arranged this day for them." The children were ecstatic, and according to the research, a staggering 97% say they get excited about school trips. Headteacher Nancy Cook said: "When we think about shared discussion and learning in the classroom, the children don't have reference points to pinpoint they're learning, too. "It's really hard and becomes too abstract for them. So giving children opportunities, not only are they hugely exciting, but also become developmental points that they can build on in the future." There were sandcastles being built and ice creams being eaten. And as we were getting ready for the trip back to London, one child had carefully scooped sand into an empty bottle. When asked why, he looked up at me and said softly: "So I can remember this day forever." As the sun dipped behind the grey horizon and the children climbed back onto the coach, sand still clinging to their socks, one boy turned around and said: "This was the best day ever."


Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane weather: Chilly start to the weekend for millions of Aussies as mega rain band strikes
Millions of Australians have shivered through a wet and cold start to the weekend as a monster 3000km rain band closes in on the southeast. The rain will strike Newcastle, Taree and Port Macquarie on the NSW Mid North Coast before the system heads north to Brisbane in the afternoon. The Bureau of Meteorology's Angus Hines said the heaviest falls would hit parts of Queensland and parts of eastern and northern Tasmania, which could trigger some minor to moderate riverine flooding. 'The main thing with the weather event that we're seeing at the moment is perhaps not how much rain each place is getting, it's how extensive the rain has been and will continue to be across the country,' he told Weekend Today. 'It's just this huge band of wet weather which started off in Western Australia a couple of days ago, then yesterday and overnight it swept through South Australia. 'Today it's going to be across the eastern states and it's really stretching all the way from north Queensland down to the far south of Tasmania. 'So for most areas they're getting a little bit of rain, but not too many spots are getting us worried about major heavy rainfall or flooding or anything like that. 'So for a lot of places where it has actually been quite dry, this rain is more welcome than worrying.' Perth Saturday: Sunny. Min 3C. Max 16C. Sunday: Showers. Min 6C. Max 14C. Monday: Showers easing. Min 5C. Max 14C. Adelaide Saturday: Showers. Min 9C. Max 14C. Sunday: Showers. Min 10C. Max 14C. Monday: Shower or two. Min 9C. Max 14C. Sydney Friday: Mostly sunny. Max 18C. Saturday: Cloudy. Min 11C. Max 18C. Sunday: Partly cloudy. Min 10C. Max 19C. Melbourne Friday: Possible late shower. Max 13C. Saturday: Showers easing. Min 9C. Max 14C. Sunday: Showers. Min 8C. Max 15C. Hobart Friday: Becoming cloudy. Max 14C. Saturday: Rain. Min 7C. Max 13C. Sunday: Possible shower. Min 5C. Max 13C. Canberra Friday: Cloudy. Max 14C. Saturday: Rain easing. Min 3C. Max 14C. Sunday: Showers. Min 4C. Max 11C. Brisbane Friday: Sunny. Max 22C. Saturday: Rain increasing. Min 13C. Max 23C. Sunday: Showers easing then sunny. Min 15C. Max 23C. Darwin Saturday: Partly cloudy. Min 22C. Max 31C. Sunday: Partly cloudy. Min 22C. Max 31C. Monday: Partly cloudy. Min 22C. Max 30C.


The Sun
6 hours ago
- The Sun
Lionesses' fans flock to Basel to cheer on team in Euros final – as pubs prepare for bumper day
ENGLAND fans have flocked to Basel to roar on the Lionesses against Spain tomorrow — while millions at home will also be willing our girls to lift the Euro trophy for the second time in a row. Sarina Wiegman 's warriors have the perfect opportunity to avenge their crushing World Cup final defeat by Spain two years ago, and the nation is gearing up for the big match — guaranteeing a bumper day for pubs and supermarkets across the country. 3 Asda expects to sell at least six million pints of beer, 1.3 million bags of crisps and 300,000 pizzas, while a million extra pints will be sold in pubs, giving a huge boost to the economy. The bookies are in for a bonanza too, as in betting terms the match is set to be the biggest in the history of the women's game. England are the underdogs, with their odds currently at 2/1, but 80 per cent of punters are betting on them winning. Coral's John Hill said: 'We are seeing one-way traffic for the Lionesses in our betting, despite them being underdogs. "They have overcome the odds a few times in Switzerland, so the bookmakers are staring down the barrel at a bumper payout should they win.' England fans arriving at Basel Airport yesterday were convinced their heroines can triumph. Women's football consultant Andrea Ekblad, from St Albans, Herts, said: 'I was at the final at Wembley when they won the Euros in 2022. 'I'm superstitious, so I'm wearing the shirt I wore in 2022 — hopefully that helps them win.' Ava Lambert, 16, of Chelmsford, Essex, said: 'I've been watching all the games at home so I'm really pleased to be here for the final. 'Good luck England, you can do it.' England Lionesses press conference ahead of Euro 2025 final vs Spain 3