The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for thunderstorms across 75 areas in England and Wales, effective from 12am to 10am on Friday. The warning follows this week's heatwave and covers the East Midlands, London and the South East, North East, North West, South West, West Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, and Wales.
Forecast Details and Impacts
Thunderstorms are expected to move northeastwards during the early hours, potentially generating 60mph winds and 2mm/hr of rain. The Met Office warned: "There is a slight chance that power cuts could occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost." Additionally, "Where lightning strikes or flooding occurs, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services."
The Met Office added: "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. The agency recommends gathering batteries and torches, and preparing an emergency flood kit before the bad weather hits.
Full List of Affected Areas
East Midlands: Derby, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire.
London & South East England: Hampshire, Oxfordshire.
North East England: Darlington, Durham, Gateshead, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Northumberland, Redcar and Cleveland, South Tyneside, Stockton-on-Tees, Sunderland.
North West England: Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Halton, Lancashire, Merseyside, Warrington.
South West England: Bath and North East Somerset, Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole, Bristol, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, Torbay, Wiltshire.
Wales: Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, 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.
Yorkshire & Humber: East Riding of Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, York.
