UK weather: Thunderstorms ahead - but temperatures are set to remain high
The Met Office has issued yellow warnings for much of England, stating there's a risk of sudden flooding, travel delays and power cuts on Friday and into Saturday.
The first warning covers most of England and is in place for 9pm on Friday to 6pm on Saturday.
The second - for parts of the East Midlands, North East England and Yorkshire and the Humber - is for 12pm to 8pm on Friday.Spray and flooding could cause road closures and even cut some communities off, the Met Office has said, adding that lightning strikes could damage buildings.
Sky weather producer Joanna Robinson said: "Heavy, thundery rain will move in from France on Friday night, pushing northwards across much of England on Saturday, reaching Scotland later in the day.
"The rain will be torrential in places, bringing up to 30mm in less than an hour, with 60-90 mm in less than three hours for some isolated spots."
Recent dry weather could increase the risk of flash flooding, as torrential rain falling on hard, baked ground will run off rather than being easily soaked in.
Despite the rain, it will still be hot - with temperatures expected to reach the high 20s for much of England.
It will remain unsettled on Sunday and into next week, Robinson added.
"There'll be torrential rain for some, with further weather warnings likely when confidence in the detail improves," she said.
"The unsettled conditions will continue early next week, but exactly where the worst of the storms will be is currently very uncertain.
"There are signs that high pressure will help settle things down from the west on Wednesday."
Read more:
The wet weather comes as England is struggling with its driest start to a year since 1976.
Across the country, rainfall was 20% less than the long-term average in June, which also saw two heatwaves rive unusually high demand for water, the Environment Agency said.
With national reservoir levels at 75.6% and currently continuing to fall, in multiple regions.
are also hitting millions of homes, with Yorkshire Water announcing restrictions as its reservoir storage dropped to just 53.8%.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
20 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Northern D.C. area hit by flash floods. Here's why it happened.
Several parts of the northern half of the D.C. area were overwhelmed by flash flooding late Saturday afternoon and evening because of intense, slow-moving thunderstorms. Silver Spring, Maryland, and Great Falls, Virginia, were the hardest hit after 5 to 5.5 inches fell in less than two hours. Flooding also extended into northern sections of D.C. and Prince George's County. The deluge caused waterways to overflow their banks, transformed roads into rivers and stranded vehicles in high water. The torrents were fueled by exceptional humidity levels that have hovered at near-record levels for weeks. As vast volumes of water poured into area streams, they rose with remarkable haste. A sensor along Sligo Creek, which winds through Silver Spring and Takoma Park, reported a 10-foot rise in water in just 30 minutes. The creek crested at its highest level in at least 20 years in Takoma Park. Area watersheds such as Sligo Creek were under significant stress from days of heavy rain over the past week. With soils saturated, the tipping point to the flash flood stage was rapidly reached. Because of the abrupt water rise and ongoing downpour, the National Weather Service declared a flash flood emergency — its most dire flood alert — for Silver Spring and its surroundings. Dozens of water rescues were carried out in southern Montgomery County; many around Silver Spring and spanning from Potomac to Takoma Park, according to Pete Piringer, chief spokesperson for the county's fire and rescue service. The flooding in Great Falls closed portions of Georgetown Pike and prompted rescues of multiple people stranded in high water on Old Dominion Road. Flooding was also reported in northern Prince George's County around Hyattsville and College Park. Peak rainfall rates reached at least 2 to 4 inches per hour. College Park registered a record hourly amount of 2.71 inches between 5 and 6 p.m. A large area from roughly Great Falls to Greenbelt, Maryland, received at least two inches of rain. Through much of the day, the region's main flash flood concern had been focused on central Virginia, where a flood watch was in effect. The sudden jump in flood threat 50 or so miles to the north, in the late afternoon, came as a surprise. A stalled front, which was located to the south of D.C. during the early morning, surged northward. By late afternoon, it had shifted into the Baltimore region. This placed Northern Virginia, the District and central Maryland on the unstable and humid side of the front, with winds from the south. The total available moisture content in the atmospheric column — as measured by the morning weather balloon in Sterling, Virginia — was around 2.2 inches, nearly a record for the day in July. The atmosphere became more and more primed through the afternoon, south of the front, for storms to wring out this excessive moisture. As the image below shows, at around 5 p.m., a narrow band of thunderstorms erupted along the southern border of the front, across northern Fairfax County, lower Montgomery County, northern D.C. and northern Prince George's County. The complex, as a whole, remained nearly stationary for a couple hours. But individual storm cells repeatedly developed on the western side and moved through the larger cloud complex, toward the east, generating a succession of cells passing over the same areas. This phenomenon is termed 'echo training.' Rain totals very rapidly added up across this narrow zone, as half a dozen flash flood warnings were rushed out. Saturday's downpours occurred amid an unusually humid and stormy stretch that began in June. It has been the second-most humid summer on record and flooding thunderstorms have occurred repeatedly. When the Weather Service issued a flood watch for the region late Saturday afternoon, it marked the 16th since May, which is the most on record during a three-month period. The D.C. area has seen more flood watches than any other major city this year. Because of human-caused climate change, which speeds up evaporation, the amount of available moisture in the air has increased in recent decades. A measure of atmospheric moisture, known as precipitable water, has steadily increased since the late the 1970s. The increased moisture raises the ceiling for the amount and intensity of rainfall. After another humid and potentially stormy day on Sunday, the region expects a reprieve early next week as cooler and drier air settles in, at least briefly. Dan Stillman, Ben Noll and Ian Livingston contributed to this report.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Hong Kong hit by strong winds, heavy rain as Typhoon Wipha skirts past
Hong Kong was battered by strong winds and heavy rain on Sunday as Typhoon Wipha skirted along China's southern coast, with fallen trees and collapsed scaffolding spotted across the city. Wipha was located around 140 kilometres (87 miles) to Hong Kong's southwest as of 5 pm (0900 GMT), according to the city's weather observatory. Hong Kong's highest tropical cyclone warning, T10, was in effect for around seven hours but was downgraded to the third-highest T8 warning at 4:10 pm as Wipha departed the city. "Gale to storm force southeasterly winds are still affecting parts of the territory occasionally," the observatory said. "The intense rainbands of Wipha are persistently affecting the vicinity of Pearl River Estuary." Neighbouring casino hub Macau issued its own top-level typhoon warning shortly after noon, with authorities suspending all public transportation services. China's Hainan and Guangdong provinces were earlier put on high alert, according to state news agency Xinhua. In Hong Kong, more than 250 people sought refuge at government-run temporary shelters. Officials said they received more than 450 reports of fallen trees and a handful of flooding reports, including at a main thoroughfare in the Wong Tai Sin district. A representative from Hong Kong's Airport Authority earlier said that around 500 flights have been cancelled due to the weather, while around 400 flights were scheduled to take off or land later in the day. Authorities suspended Sunday's classes at all day schools and daycare centres. Local trains offered limited services while operations in open sections were suspended. Wipha also brought heavy rains and flooding to the Philippines, where two people have been reported missing, according to the country's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Hong Kong last hoisted the T10 warning signal for Super Typhoon Saola in 2023. hol/lb
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Storm update: Two deaths reported in Central Jersey after torrential rain, flooding
Heavy rain in Central Jersey from a July 14 storm killed two people in Union County and brought flashed flooding that left local streets and highways impassable and motorists stranded. Two women died in Plainfield when a vehicle was swept into Cedar Brook during the height of the storm, according to Mayor Adrian O. Mapp. Emergency personnel responded quickly, but both people died at the scene. Mapp said the women's names are being withheld pending notification of their families. 'All of Plainfield grieves this latest loss. To lose four residents in such a short span of time is unimaginable," said Mapp, referring to the two men who died after a tree fell on their vehicle during the July 3 storm. "We mourn with the families, and we remain committed to doing all we can to strengthen our emergency response systems and protect our residents from future harm.' One Parkview Avenue home in North Plainfield was destroyed after an explosion late Monday night at the same time there was flash flooding in the area. Gov. Phil Murphy said the cause of the explosion is under investigation, and no one was hurt in the blast. The explosion as well as water rescues occurred at a time when some areas of Somerset County, like Watchung and North Plainfield, received more than 5 inches of rain in about four hours, while Hillsborough received about 3 and parts of Union County, like Linden and Clark, received more than 5 inches of rain. The heavy rain resulted in reports of foundation damage and buildings in danger of collapse in North Plainfield and Dunellen. Route 22 and Route 28 were closed in both directions to clear debris and make emergency roadway repairs caused by flooding in Somerset and Middlesex counties. Motorists are advised to avoid both roads. Gov. Phil Murphy declared a State of Emergency for all 21 counties due to flooding caused by torrential rains and advised residents to avoid unnecessary travel. During a Tuesday news conference in Berkeley Heights, Murphy said New Jersey is seeing more frequent and more intense storms. He said Berkeley Heights experienced 6 inches of rain in less than two hours and more similar weather is likely. "This clearly was a significant weather event," said Murphy, adding water has killed more people during his time as governor than any other type of weather event, including power outages, tornadoes and snow storms. "We have not experienced anything like this in decades," said Mapp, who reported cars in the city were stranded in flood waters, while homes and businesses took on water in basements after flood waters rose two to three feet. More: See rainfall totals in your Central Jersey town Route 22 closed Route 22 was closed in both directions between Washington Avenue in Green Brook and Terrill Road in Watchung. There is severe damage in four locations on Route 22, including sections where the roadway has buckled and heaved, median barrier has been dislodged and washed into travel lanes, and debris is covering the highway. Abandoned cars that were caught in the flood waters need to be 22 eastbound was closed near Washington Avenue at approximately 9 p.m. July 14 due to roadway damage near Jefferson Avenue (mile post 42.5) in Green Brook caused by flooding. As flood waters receded, three other locations were identified with significant damage: Mile post 43.5 west of West End Avenue/Cardinal Lane in North Plainfield Mile post 44.7 at Somerset Street in North Plainfield Mile post 46.5 west of Terrill Road in Watchung Crews were on scene and working to clear debris and make repairs to the damaged roadway. It is unclear how long repairs may take. Motorists should avoid using Route 22 in this area. Bridgewater police report Route 22 west at Thompson Avenue reopened around noon July 15. Route 28 closed Route 28 is closed in both directions between Mountain Avenue (mile post 2.86) in Bridgewater, Somerset County and Warrenville Road (mile post 11.36) in Dunellen due to damage from flooding. Motorists should avoid using Route 28 in this area. Route 28 has reopened in all directions in Middlesex Borough, according to police who reported other roads still remain closed. More than seven inches of rain fell over a two hour period in South Plainfield, resulting in numerous calls and 50 plus water rescues all over the Borough, according to a post on the South Plainfield Volunteer Fire Department's Facebook page. New Market Avenue and Clinton Avenue Extension are closed, according to South Plainfield Business Administrator Glenn Cullen. He said police made about 50 water rescues for people stranded in vehicles. Those rescued on the northside of the borough were brought to the rescue squad building on Plainfield Avenue while those rescued on the southside were brought to the Holiday Inn on Stelton Road. Borough Hall and the library operated July 15 on a two-hour delayed opening. The municipal building is operating on generator power. The community pool had large amounts of silt and dirt that the flood waters brought down from West Crescent Parkway and will likely need a week to be operational again. Legends camp is open, but all other camp activities at the schools are closed. Hope 4 Paws Humane Society, the former Plainfield Area Humane Society on Rock Avenue, Plainfield reported on Facebook they lost everything in the storm, including food, bedding, litter and other supplies. All of the animals, who were found sitting in the dark with water filling their cages, are safe after being moved to higher ground. Linden police reported first responders assisted a number of drivers to safety after their vehicles were disables in the flood waters, and firefighters made nearly a dozen more boat rescues. After the rain stopped, Fire Department personnel also pumped out nearly two dozen residential basements. All Linden roadways were reopened, and most abandoned vehicles have been moved to the side of the road. There were a couple of transformer issues overnight, but there are currently no widespread power outages in the city. Linden Public Works is working to clear the streets and catch basins of debris, especially in flooded areas, police said in a Facebook post. The American Red Cross is in Dunellen supporting the Offices of the Mayor, Borough Administration and the Dunellen Office of Emergency Management. Their team has set up a tent in the back parking lot of the George W. Hodulik Firehouse, 231 S. Madison Ave., to provide cleanup kits and water to residents at no cost. The Red Cross will be on site until 7 p.m. July 15 and from 9 a.m. to noon July 16, 17 and 18. The team will load all supplies into residents' vehicles upon 5 to 7 p.m. July 15, the Red Cross will be offering a free, light meal at the firehouse to Dunellen residents who are without power to assist with their needs. Throughout the next few days, American Red Cross teams will also visit areas throughout the Borough affected by the storm to provide aid to residents. If you are in need of immediate assistance, call 1 (800) REDCROSS or 1 (800) 733-2767. Email: sloyer@ Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for To get unlimited access to her work, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. This article originally appeared on NJ storm update: Two deaths reported in Central Jersey after flooding
