UK Weather: New thunderstorm warnings as rain set to continue – BBC Weather
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New thunderstorm warnings for parts of UK as rain set to continue
Image source: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire
By Ben Rich, Lead Weather Presenter
Published 22 minutes ago
The Met Office has issued fresh warnings for thunderstorms that will bring more wet weather to parts of the UK on Thursday.
The first warning is valid from 02:00 BST with thunder and heavy rain due to move across south-east England in the early hours. A second comes into force at 06:00 BST for a wider area of England and Wales. This will last through to 22:00 and may become slow moving in the afternoon and evening.
Downpours could bring localised flash flooding and travel disruption. The wettest areas potentially seeing 75mm (3in) of rain. Large hail, lightning, and gusty winds could accompany the showers, and it will feel rather humid for many.
Spells of rain are set to continue over the weekend—a bank holiday for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland—accompanied by windy conditions in the south.
Image caption:
The Met Office issued new warnings for thunderstorms on Wednesday evening. Flooding and travel disruption are possible in the yellow warning areas.
Downpours drifting northwards on Thursday:
Thursday morning will get off to a wet start in southern England and south Wales, with heavy downpours accompanied by lightning, hail, and squally winds. These will then move north across mid and north Wales, the Midlands, and parts of eastern England, arriving in northern England during the early afternoon.
As this initial line of downpours clears northwards, sunny spells will develop, but further scattered showers that could again be very heavy and thundery are possible.
Some rain is likely to arrive in Northern Ireland and Scotland later in the day, although these northern areas of the UK are likely to avoid the very wettest weather.
Why are there no thunderstorms showing on my app?
Published 1 day ago
Within the Met Office yellow warning area, 20-30mm (0.8-1.2in) of rain could fall in just a few hours, with up to 50mm (2in) over a 12-hour period. Hills exposed to the easterly wind could possibly see 75mm (3in).
Hazardous driving conditions are expected, with a chance that roads will be closed and communities cut off. Lightning strikes could lead to power cuts, and hailstones of 1-2cm (0.4-0.8in) are also possible.
The wet weather will be welcome news for the large areas of England and Wales that remain in drought. However, there is an increased risk of flash flooding where the ground is very dry and hard. Not enough rain will fall to alleviate the recent dry spell, with experts warning that months of persistent wet weather is needed to replenish water supplies.
A weekend of events—and more rain:
The coming weekend brings a number of festivals and high-profile events:
- Reading and Leeds Festivals (both run from Thursday until Sunday)
- Creamfields in Cheshire (also runs from Thursday until Sunday)
- Manchester Pride takes place from Friday until Bank Holiday Monday, while
- Notting Hill Carnival in London starts on Saturday and continues until Monday.
Image source: Joseph Okpako / Getty Images
Image caption:
Festivalgoers at Reading will be hoping to avoid a repeat of these soggy scenes from 2024.
