08 June 2023 , 10:52
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Brits are set to be hit by thunderstorms with heavy rain and flooding amid a scorching 30C heatwave this weekend.
The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for thunderstorms on Saturday afternoon in 74 places covering an area that covers all of Wales, Manchester and down to London.
The warning, which is in place from 2pm to 9pm, states: "Whilst many places will be largely dry, thunderstorms with heavy rain and hail are likely to develop in some places on Saturday afternoon."
It comes a day after the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued the year's first heat health alert, with some parts of England forecast to hit 30C this weekend.
Parts of the country are predicted to be hotter than Marbella, Ibiza and Tenerife over the weekend as a "plume of warm air" moves in from the south.
Met Office says UK will be battered by monster rain storm with 4 inches falling
Met Office issues heatwave thunderstorm warning (Met Office)But there are 74 places in seven regions and local authorities that will be affected by the thunderstorms on Saturday.
East Midlands
- Derby
- Derbyshire
- Leicester
- Leicestershire
- Northamptonshire
- Nottingham
- Nottinghamshire
- Rutland
East of England
- Bedford
- Cambridgeshire
- Central Bedfordshire
- Essex
- Hertfordshire
- Luton
- Southend-on-Sea
- Thurrock
London & South East England
- Bracknell Forest
- Buckinghamshire
- Greater London
- Hampshire
- Kent
- Medway
- Milton Keynes
- Oxfordshire
- Reading
- Slough
- Surrey
- West Berkshire
- Windsor and Maidenhead
- Wokingham
Storms could affect 74 places across seven regions (Getty Images)North West England
- Cheshire East
- Cheshire West and Chester
- Greater Manchester
- Halton
- Merseyside
- Warrington
South West England
- Bath and North East Somerset
- Bristol
- Gloucestershire
- North Somerset
- Somerset
- South Gloucestershire
- Swindon
- Wiltshire
Wales
- Blaenau Gwent
- Bridgend
- Caerphilly
- Cardiff
- Carmarthenshire
- Ceredigion
- Conwy
- Denbighshire
- Flintshire
- Gwynedd
- Isle of Anglesey
- Merthyr Tydfil
- Monmouthshire
- Neath Port Talbot
- Newport
- Pembrokeshire
- Powys
- Rhondda Cynon Taf
- Swansea
- Torfaen
- Vale of Glamorgan
- Wrexham
West Midlands
- Herefordshire
- Shropshire
- Staffordshire
- Stoke-on-Trent
- Telford and Wrekin
- Warwickshire
- West Midlands Conurbation
- Worcestershire
The storms come amidst an expected heatwave (PA)People have been warned: “There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds.
“Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures. Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and possibly even cancellations to rail services.
“There is a slight chance that power cuts could occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be temporarily lost.”
The Met Office added: “High temperatures developing across parts of England and Wales on Saturday are expected to trigger a scattering of showers across this area, some of which are likely to be torrential and thundery, bringing 30-40mm in an hour.
“The odd place affected by multiple showers could see more than this, perhaps in excess of 60mm. As well as rain, hail, strong gusts of wind, and lightning will be additional hazards.
“Despite all of this, many places in the warning area will remain dry, or only see small amounts of rain, due to the well scattered nature of the heaviest showers.”