UK Weather: Met Office Warnings in Force Amid Thunderstorm and Flood Risk
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Yellow warnings in force as rain and thunderstorms hit parts of the UK
Image source: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire
By Ben Rich, Lead Weather Presenter
Published 4 hours ago
Downpours and thunderstorms will continue to bring the risk of flooding to parts of the UK on Wednesday.
Thunderstorm Warning
A Met Office yellow warning for thunderstorms is valid from 03:00 until 22:00 BST, covering much of the Midlands, parts of northern, eastern and southern England, as well as the far east of Wales.
The rain could be heavy enough to cause flash flooding and travel disruption, with lightning and large hail posing additional hazards.
Additional Thunderstorm Warning
A further Met Office yellow warning has been issued for Thursday, with more thunderstorms expected.
For some areas that have seen barely any rain so far this August, the next few days could bring the wettest weather in many weeks.
Where will Wednesday be wettest?
The Met Office yellow thunderstorm warning covers a large swathe of England and Wales. A band of showers and thunderstorms will push northwards during Wednesday morning with sunny spells following from the south. However, further scattered downpours and storms will spring up during the afternoon.
As many as 20-30mm (0.8-1.2in) of rain could fall in some locations within just an hour, and it is even possible that 40-50mm (1.6-2in) could accumulate over a few hours. Due to the hit-and-miss nature of showers, some places will miss the rain, and weather apps may struggle to get the detail of the forecast correct.
Image caption: The wettest places could see 40-50mm of rain in just a few hours.
Where the rain does fall, flash flooding is a real concern. This will be especially problematic where the ground is hard after the prolonged dry spell, making it difficult for the water to soak in. Difficult driving conditions are expected with the chance that some roads could be closed. Large hail and frequent lightning are also possible.
Northern Ireland will also see some showers but these are likely to be less intense with less thunder. Many parts of Scotland will remain dry with sunny spells, although some showers are likely in the south-west later.
Thunderstorms to continue on Thursday
Thursday will bring another zone of thunderstorms, again affecting mostly England and Wales. The Met Office has issued a further yellow weather warning, valid from 06:00 until 22:00 BST.
Widespread rainfall totals of 20-30mm (0.8-1.2in) are expected in the warning area within three hours, while some areas could see 50mm (2in) within the same timeframe. There is a small chance that eastern-facing hills—exposed to easterly winds—could record 75mm (3in) during 12 hours, which would bring a significant flood risk.
The showers may eventually reach southern Scotland and Northern Ireland but are likely to weaken and become less intense as they drift northwards.
Image caption: Hailstones of 1-2cm could accompany Thursday’s downpours, as well as thunder and lightning.
Wettest weather in weeks for parts of southern UK
Despite a period of unsettled weather last week, some southern parts of the UK have still seen barely any rain recently. Brize Norton in Oxfordshire has recorded just 0.4mm of rain so far this August, less than 1% of what it would normally expect during the month as a whole. In July, it received only 1mm.
Kew Gardens recorded no rain at all in July, and only 1.8mm so far this month. It means the rain we are expecting this week is likely to far outstrip what has fallen recently in some areas.
