UK records hottest day of year as Met Office issues amber thunderstorm warning

Independent

2 days ago

The UK has recorded its warmest day of the year so far as temperatures hit 29.4C, the Met Office said.
It comes as the forecasting body announced thunderstorms were 'pushing into' the English Channel ahead of an amber weather warning for severe thunderstorms which will come into force at 8pm.
Santon Downham, in West Suffolk, enjoyed the hottest weather on Friday, just breaking the previous record for 2025 which stood at 29.3C, recorded on May 1 in Kew Gardens, west London.
Scotland also experienced its hottest day of the year so far as temperatures in Lossiemouth hit 25.7C.
'Today has been very warm for much of the UK, and hot in the South East where temperatures were comfortably 9C or 10C higher than the average expected for this time of year,' a spokesperson for the Met Office said.
For mid-June, the forecasting body said it would expect maximum temperatures in the UK to be between 16-18C across the north and between 18-20C across the south.
The heat and humidity could spark 'very severe weather' overnight, Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said.
The amber thunderstorm alert, which will cover parts of East Anglia and eastern parts of East Sussex and Kent until 5am on Saturday, advises of the risk of torrential rain, large hail, frequent lightning and gusty winds.
The Met Office warns that the storms could lead to road flooding, difficult driving conditions, power cuts and flooding of homes and businesses.
'Initially, during the evening, it's dry towards the South East but we'll be watching developments over northern France very closely because that's where these thunderstorms are likely to develop and drift northeastwards,' Mr McGivern said.
'The signals are that it's across East Anglia and the far south east of England – so Kent, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk – where we're likely to see the greatest risk of impacts from the torrential rain, large hail – 1-2cm in diameter – frequent lightning and gusty winds, 50mph wind gusts, perhaps more with some of the most lively thunderstorms.'
Met Office chief meteorologist, Steve Ramsdale, said 30-50mm of rain could fall in the amber warning areas while strong wings, hail and lightning could cause disruption to power supplies.
A yellow thunderstorm warning is in place until 11.59pm covering southwestern England and Wales while a further yellow alert comes into effect at 7pm lasting until 6am on Saturday for East Anglia and the south east of England.
RAC breakdown spokeswoman Alice Simpson said: 'Amber weather warnings must be taken seriously by drivers.
'Strong winds increase the chance of trees and powerlines falling and this combined with torrential rain over a short period can make driving much more challenging.
'Anyone not confident driving in the conditions may wish to postpone their journeys until the stormy weather passes.'
Katharine Smith, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, said: 'Forecast heavy rain and thunderstorms today mean there is a risk of significant and localised surface water flooding impacts in parts of England, including the East and South East on Friday with impacts probable into early Saturday.
'Environment Agency teams have ensured rivers and watercourses are clear ahead of the storms and stand ready to support local authorities in their response to surface water flooding.
'We urge people not to drive through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car.
'People should check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation by searching 'check my flood risk', and follow @EnvAgency on X for the latest flood updates.'