Thunderstorm warning extended to cover most of England

A yellow weather warning for rain and thunderstorms has been extended to cover most of England.

The Met Office says heavy showers and thunderstorms are likely to cause some disruption to travel.

The warning area has expanded eastwards and southwards since it was first issued this morning.

A spokesman said: ‘Heavy showers will develop quite widely later this morning and afternoon, hail and lightning accompanying showers in some places.

‘Some of these showers will be slow-moving and 10-20mm of rain is likely to fall in less than an hour in some places whilst a few spots could see as much as 20-50mm of rain in two or three hours.’

It warns the thunderstorms could cause short term powercuts, train delays, damage to buildings by lightning strikes, and flooding of homes or businesses.

It also says: ‘There is a good chance driving conditions will be affected by spray, standing water and/or hail, leading to longer journey times by car and bus.’

Today’s weather warning is in place until 7pm and it was extended to cover parts of south east England.

The warning covers most of the east of England (Picture: Metro graphics)

The warning area spans from Newcastle in the north to Brighton in the south, covering most of the east of England.

The Met Office warns the thunderstorms could cause short term powercuts, train delays, damage to buildings by lightning strikes, and flooding of homes or businesses.

It also says: ‘There is a good chance driving conditions will be affected by spray, standing water and/or hail, leading to longer journey times by car and bus.’

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