Thunderstorms will continue to strike the UK as hot weather brings the risk of flooding, travel disruption and power cuts, forecasters have warned.



Those enjoying the half-term break have been warned of potential flash floods and sudden worsening of visibility amid heavy rain and balmy temperatures.

The Met Office has issued a yellow alert warning of thundery rain or showers that could bring local flooding to parts of southern England and Wales on Tuesday and into Wednesday morning.

Forecasters say there is a small chance homes and businesses could be flooded or struck by lightning, causing damage to some buildings. Where flooding does occur there is a slight chance of delays or cancellations to train and bus services.

Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures, while flooding or lightning strikes could cause power cuts in some areas.

A Met Office spokeswoman said: “It’s fairly normal weather for us to see thunderstorms through the summer months as temperatures warm up. Thunderstorms are caused by the warmer air.”

She said most summer rain came in short, sharp, heavy showers, adding the longevity of the current weather pattern was unusual, with the risk of thundery showers lasting through the week.

While some places will escape the worst of the rain, or even manage to stay largely dry, some rain will be heavy and up to 30mm could fall in an hour or less and 40mm-50mm could fall in a couple of hours.

More than 30 flood alerts are in place for England on Tuesday.

One elderly man lost his life in the early hours of Monday when his vehicle became submerged in Walsall, and multiple rescues had to be carried out from cars, buses and homes on Sunday, the West Midlands fire and rescue service said.

Cavendish in Suffolk was the warmest recorded spot on Monday, peaking at 27.3C, a couple of degrees short of the April high of 29.1C in central London.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all enjoyed their hottest days of 2018 on Monday, with Dunstaffnage in Argyll reaching 27.1C, Hawarden airport in Clwyd reaching 24.9C, and Castlederg in County Tyrone reaching 25.1C.