Thunderstorms and downpours batter UK with a month’s worth of rain

Most of England and Wales faced a proper drenching yesterday after nearly a month’s worth of rain fell in under an hour in some places.

Yellow thunderstorm warnings were in place throughout most of yesterday as temperatures soared to over 30C in parts of the country.

The thunderstorm alert, which expired at midnight, could lead to power cuts and bus and train service cancellations, the Met Office warned.

The forecaster is also warning drivers to be prepared for spray, sudden flooding and road closures as rush hour kicks off this morning in the aftermath of heavy rain.

Some parts of the warning zone were set to experience up to 50mm of rainfall within two hours, with ‘torrential downpours, gusty winds, frequent lightning, and hail’ also predicted.

By 8pm last night, New Addington in Greater London had seen the heaviest downpour of the day with 53mm of rain in an hour.

In comparison, the area’s average total rainfall for the month of August in the same area is 56mm, the forecaster said.

Although that warning has now lifted, unfortunately we won’t be returning to the dry weather of recent days.

Most of England, especially the south east, was issued with heat health alerts as temperatures soared to 32°C this week.

But this weekend the UK is set to see further thunderstorms, with flood alerts in place as rain falls on dry ground.

Heading into Friday, there is still a chance of thunderstorms in the east of England, with temperatures of up to 30°C predicted.

Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge said: ‘There’s been very humid air which is why it’s felt so close and muggy as well.

‘The same air has been over northern France for the last day or two as well – so those heavy thundery showers that they had during the triathlon yesterday morning.

‘So basically, we’ve been getting the same sort of weather as the Olympics have.’

The Met Office forecast for Friday currently states: ‘Cloud and rain edging into the northwest where it will also be rather breezy.

‘Mostly dry elsewhere with sunny spells, a few heavy showers in the east. Warm for most.’

Current projections suggest a band of rain will sweep in from the west from this afternoon, hitting Northern Ireland around midday before reaching the west of Scotland shortly after.

But the rain band looks likely to dissipate after reaching the west coasts of England and Wales, with very little rainfall predicted across central and eastern England, Scotland and Wales throughout the day.

Met Office meteorologist Kathryn Chalk added: ‘It is probably going to be feeling quite humid today in the east.’

On Saturday, outbreaks of rain are expected in the south of England, with the highest temperatures around 25°C-26°C.

The forecast for the upcoming weekend says: ‘Turning fresher as rain clears early on Saturday to leave a mostly dry weekend with some sunshine.

‘Unsettled on Monday with rain and a brisk breeze.’

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