Met Office issues thunderstorm warnings for 18 UK areas | Weather | News
The Met Office has issued a storm warning for 18 areas in the UK which could see “frequent lightning, high winds, heavy rain” and even hail. The new storm warnings come after the Met Office issued rare red extreme heat alerts for dozens of areas; scorching temperatures are possible as high as 40C.
The new weather warnings apply to London and the South East, South West England and East England. They started at 17.21 on Monday, June 22nd and will continue until 21.00 this evening. The Met Office said: “Thunderstorms moving eastwards across the region will bring frequent lightning, gusty winds, heavy rain and hail in a few places. Storms will move quickly, reducing the potential for widespread amounts of rain, but there are a few places that could see 20-25mm of rainfall in a short period of time in the most active storms, which could lead to short-term flooding.”
However, the majority of strikes are likely to be caused by other hazards, such as lightning striking buildings and causing power outages, difficult driving conditions in heavy rain, and some localized damage to sensitive structures due to high winds or hail.
In warnings, the Met Office said affected areas should expect possible damage to some buildings and structures due to lightning strikes or hail.
While flooding of some homes and businesses is possible, short-term loss of electricity and other services is also likely.
Driving conditions are “very likely” to be affected by spray, standing water and/or hail, leading to longer journey times by car and bus, while delays to train services are also possible.
London and South East England
Bath and North East Somerset
