Put away the BBQ! Met Office warn flash floods and thunderstorms could hit the country today with lightning, hail and a month’s worth of rain set to cause chaos
- The Met Office has issued two yellow thunderstorm warnings in Britain today
- It is warning some areas could see up to three inches of rain in just three hours
A month’s worth of rain could be dumped on parts of Britain today causing flash floods in the process as thunderstorms puncture the recent summer sunshine that has covered the country.
Experts are warning more than three inches of rain (80mm) could fall in the space of just three hours in some areas England and Wales this afternoon and evening.
The Met Office has issued two thunderstorm warnings in the UK – one covering the entirety of Wales and most of England, and another covering large parts of Northern Ireland.
It says the storms could bring lightning, strong winds, hail and localised flooding as the water is dropped on land that has been parched following Britain’s hottest start to June since 1976.
There are warnings that despite the heavy rainfall, water supplies won’t be sufficiently replenished to lift hosepipe bans that are currently in place for 1.3million people in South East England.
Lightning and thunder is seen over the water during a storm in Minster on Sea, Kent, in the early hours of Sunday morning
The Met Office has issued two yellow thunderstorm warnings for Britain today. The map above shows one covering most of Northern Ireland, and another covering the whole of Wales and almost the entire of England
Temperatures are expected to remain above average for this time of year, with highs of 25C (77F) in inland areas of southern England, while it will be several degrees cooler on the coast.
Overnight some Britons had their sleep disturbed as thunderstorms formed in parts of the country, and this is set to continue today.
Meteorologists say they believe the thunderstorms are most likely to form just to the north of London, before moving northwards across the Midlands, east England, east Wales and southern areas of northern England.
READ MORE HERE: More than three inches of rain will fall within hours on Sunday as heatwave breaks
However, there will be isolated showers across most of England as well – including Isle of Wight Festival where revellers will be trying to make the most of the last day of the show off the south coast.
The Met Office has updated a yellow warning for thunderstorms in England and Wales that was issued yesterday, so it will now come into effect from midday and last until midnight.
It warns: ‘Some places may miss most (or all) of the rain, but others could see 30mm in an hour or less, and perhaps a few spots seeing 60 to 80mm within 3 to 6 hours. There is also the potential for frequent lightning, strong winds and hail.’
The service has also issued a yellow thunderstorm warning for western and central areas of Northern Ireland, which will come into effect at midday and last until 9pm.
Half today’s torrent is expected to fall in just an hour, prompting warnings of flash flooding and danger for drivers.
Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said yesterday: ‘The average rainfall for the UK in June is 77mm and for England it is just 65mm.
‘But it is possible that 60mm could fall in six hours, which is not far from a month’s worth of rain. And we could even see 30mm in one hour, which is the equivalent to a couple of weeks.’
He said there was a flood risk because the deluge will run off dry surfaces at a rapid rate, rather than soak into the ground.
Revellers smile for the camera at Isle of Wight Festival on Saturday. Forecasters are predicting heavy rainfall at the festival today
The Met Office has warned that pollen levels are set to be high across most of the UK today, with some areas have Very High levels
Just 9mm of rain fell in the first two weeks of this month, the hottest start to June since the heatwave summer of 1976.
Many parts of Britain met the threshold for a heatwave last week and the above-average temperatures are expected to continue into next week, despite the unsettled conditions.
READ MORE HERE: Summer drought brought on by the heatwave leaves thousands of homes across Kent and Sussex without water for days
Mr Petagna added: ‘Further thunderstorms could be seen on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and it is possible that further warnings could be issued.’
Temperatures have been more than 10C above average in recent days. Despite threats of hail and lightning, maximum temperatures are expected to be between 27C and 29C going into next week.
The deluge follows a month of fairly dry weather, with England seeing 65 per cent of its average rainfall in May. The Environment Agency urged people to check its website for flood warnings throughout today.
Sarah Cook, the agency’s national flood duty manager, said: ‘On Sunday afternoon and into the night, slow-moving heavy showers and thunderstorms could lead to localised surface water flooding across England.
‘Environment Agency teams are out on the ground and will support local authorities in responding to surface water flooding.
‘We urge people not to drive though flood water – it is often deeper than it looks and just 30 centimetres of flowing water is enough to float your car.
‘People should check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest flood updates.’
The Met Office’s three month outlook predicts there is a 45 per cent chance that this summer will be hot – 2.3 times higher than the normal chance.
Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon said: ‘The long-range forecast suggests that there is a good chance of it being an above average summer when it comes to temperatures.
‘An area of high pressure has been dominating for quite a while and so temperatures have remained elevated.’
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