UK Weather forecast: Met Office issue flood warnings as rain, hail and lightning set to batter Britain

Alexandra Richards13 August 2018

The Met Office has issued a weather warning as thunderstorms look set to batter parts of Britain.

Forecasters have warned that brutal weather could be on the way pointing out there is a chance that homes and businesses could be flooded.

The Met Office alert is in place until 10pm on Sunday night, and a second warning is in place from 11am until 10pm on Monday.

Areas covered by the warnings are the East Midlands, north west England, south west England, Wales, the West Midlands and Yorkshire and Humber.

Torrential rain is possible and as much as 20 to 30mm of rain could fall in an hour, or 40 mm in two to three hours.

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Lightning, hail and gusty winds may also result in some disruption.

Luke Miall, a forecaster at the Met Office, said: "We've got some unsettled weather continuing for the next few days.

"Quite a contrast really to what much of this summer has seen across the UK."

Mr Miall added: "This is a thunderstorm warning so we are likely to see some pretty intense downpours developing as the skies brighten up really this afternoon.

Pedestrians dash through the streets during a downpour
AFP/Getty Images

"With that we'll see some heavy rain which could give the risk of some flash flooding, as well as the risk of spray on the roads, and some tricky driving conditions considering a lot of people may well be out and about given it's the weekend in the height of the school holidays as well."

The unsettled conditions come after the country basked in a prolonged heatwave throughout last month, sparking hosepipe bans and causing raging grass fires.

The grey weather looks set to remain on Monday as thunder storms and hail will threaten a large swathe of the east and as far as London and Kent.

Thunder storms and hail will threaten a large swathe of the east and as far as London and Kent
AFP/Getty Images

"The weather will remain unsettled into next week, with sun and showers. There will be a risk of hail and thunder in the east, East Anglia, London, Kent," Met Office forecaster Emma Smith told the Standard

"At this point high pressure starts to build in the south and low pressure in the north east.

"As a result central and southern areas will be the best of the conditions, sunshine and temperatures as high as 25C, while the north west will see further outbreaks of rain and strong winds."