The Met Office has issued two yellow weather warnings for thunderstorms in Scotland, with forecasters predicting hailstones up to 4cm in diameter. The first warning runs from 3pm until midnight on Thursday, while a larger warning covers all of Scotland on Friday.
The warnings warn of frequent lightning, heavy rain, and locally gusty winds. Rainfall could reach 20-30mm in one hour, with up to 50mm in three hours in some areas. The large hail stones are a particular concern, with potential diameters of 2-4cm.
The thunderstorm warnings come as the UK continues to experience a heatwave, with a rare red extreme heat warning in place for parts of England. Temperatures reached 36.1C in Gosport, Hampshire on Wednesday, breaking the previous June record set in 1976. Forecasters say it could climb further to 38C on Thursday.
An amber warning for extreme heat is also in place for much of England on Friday, while a separate yellow thunderstorm warning has been issued for southwest England from 6pm on Thursday. The Met Office has warned of significant disruption to daily life, including health risks and transport problems.
The extreme conditions are driven by a 'heat dome' over western Europe, bringing record-breaking temperatures and severe storms across the continent.
