A YELLOW warning has been issued for thunderstorms today as lightning, hail and “intense”;; downpours are set to hit parts of England and Wales.
More than half a could hit some areas during the warning period, as 40-50mm of rain could fall in one to two hours, the said.
The warning comes into force at 12pm today and will last until 10pm – covering most of , the , and many southern counties.
The to take extra care before “gusty winds arrive”;; and ensure movable objects such as bins and garden furniture are well secured.
It has also been advised to check if your area is at and consider preparing a flood plan and emergency kit.
This comes as , lightning and heavy rain are expected across several parts of the UK.
Met Office meteorologist Becky Mitchell said: “ and thunderstorms are expected to develop on Monday afternoon.
“Whilst these will be fairly fast-moving, rain may be intense for short periods of time and produce 20-30 mm in less than an hour, with 40-50mm within 1-2 hours in one or two places where thunderstorms grow larger.
“, hail and gusty winds will be additional hazards. Showers and thunderstorms will ease through the evening.”;;
She added: “There’s the possibility of flooding and disruption, that’s just going to depend on those heavy showers lingering.”;;
Hail and localised power cuts are also a possibility within the warning area.
With the average rainfall in May hovering around 70mm, some areas could see more than half the month’s worth of rain, the forecaster added.
The of and southern could see scattered showers this afternoon, while from tomorrow onwards the is forecast to be more settled.
Temperatures will reach highs of low to mid 20s, which could mean Northern and Scotland see their hottest days of the year so far, Becky said.
Reading and areas are forecast thunderstorms today after showers started to hit yesterday.
Much of the rest of the country saw a hot and sunny weekend.
