UK weather: Thunderstorms set to sweep UK as Met Office warns of ‘flash flooding’ - where & when rain will hit

Thunderstorms are set to sweep across the UK this weekend, as well as high winds and hail, possibly causing flash flooding, the Met Office has warned. The storms are brewing due to warm, humid air that continues to develop as temperatures soar.

A yellow weather warning has been lodged for England, Wales and Northern Ireland and will remain in place today (June 18) until 9pm for Nothern Ireland and 12am for England and Wales. BBC Weather meteorologist Matt Taylor has said some of the worst storms could produce a “month’s worth of rain” in just a few hours.

The Met Office said there is a chance homes could be flooded quickly as some areas could see up to 80mm of rainfall in an hour. The storms could also lead to power cuts.

But despite today’s unsettled conditions, the hot weather is set to continue, with temperatures reaching highs of 29C in some areas of the UK. It follows a week of sweltering heat, with the highest temperature of the year so far recorded at Chertsey Water Works in Surrey on Saturday at 32.2C.

Some people have reported experiencng worsened asthma attacks and heavy hay fever as a result of the heatwave. Met Office meteorologists said this was a result of dry conditions allowing grasses to release pollen “on mass into the air column”.

Mr Taylor said on Saturday (June 17) the western half of Northern Ireland was most likely to experience thunderstorms. He added: “There’s an increasing chance of thunderstorms developing across the UK and Ireland through the weekend, as humidity levels continue to rise.

“Storms come with the risk of frequent lightning, hail, strong winds and some flooding leading to disruption.”