The Met Office has issued yellow thunderstorm warnings for 31 UK counties, forecasting up to 7 inches (approximately 180mm) of rain in a 20-hour period on Saturday, June 27. This comes as the UK endures a severe heatwave that set a new record for the hottest June day on Friday.
Record Heat Gives Way to Severe Storms
Friday, June 26, was confirmed as the UK's hottest June day ever recorded, with temperatures continuing to climb. However, the extreme heat has been accompanied by violent thunderstorms, particularly in Scotland, where lightning strikes and flooding were reported. The Met Office stated: "Further thunderstorms and spells of heavy rain are possible in the afternoon before becoming confined to more northern areas of Scotland later in the day."
Saturday's Forecast: Prolonged Heavy Rain
According to weather data from WXCharts.com, a large band of rain is expected to sweep in during the early hours of Saturday and persist for approximately 20 hours. Rainfall rates could reach 30mm per hour, with accumulations of 20-30mm in one hour and 30-50mm in three hours possible. The Met Office also warned of "frequent lightning, large hail (2-4 cm diameter) and locally gusty winds with stronger storms."
Flood Alerts and Travel Disruption
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has issued 18 flood alerts and one flood warning. Edinburgh Airport reported ongoing disruption on Friday afternoon due to severe thunderstorms overnight and in the early hours. A spokesperson said: "Air traffic services at Edinburgh Airport are managing the impacts from earlier disruption due to severe thunderstorms in the local and surrounding airspace. This situation has improved from the worst of the weather this morning but it likely this will have knock-on impacts throughout the day and passengers are advised to contact their airline for the latest travel information."
Affected Regions and Local Authorities
The 31 counties under warning include all of Scotland's council areas: Angus, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Falkirk, Fife, Perth and Kinross, Stirling, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Na h-Eileanan Siar, Highland, Orkney Islands, Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian Council, Scottish Borders, West Lothian, Argyll and Bute, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, and West Dunbartonshire.
Public Reaction and Safety Advice
Many residents took to social media to describe the intense storms. One user described an "absolutely tremendous storm over Edinburgh," while another called it "spectacular." The Met Office urges people to stay weather-aware and avoid unnecessary travel during the worst of the storms.
