Thunderstorms are set to sweep across parts of the UK this week, bringing a dramatic change in conditions following a record-breaking hot summer. The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings across the country, with forecasters saying the storms could deliver the “first meaningful rain for a long time” following prolonged dry conditions.
Timings for London and other regions
Thunderstorms can be unpredictable, but forecasters have pinpointed the times when the worst weather is most likely to hit. In London, the yellow warning for thunderstorms is in force from 3am until 10pm on Wednesday.
Further warnings cover northern parts of England and Wales from Wednesday evening into Thursday morning, while Northern Ireland is under a warning from midday until midnight on Wednesday. An area of eastern Scotland around Aberdeen is also covered from 2pm until 9pm.
Disruption and driving conditions
People travelling across London on Wednesday have been warned of possible disruption, including delays to trains and buses if flooding affects roads or railway lines. Spray and standing water could also make driving conditions difficult, while there is a small chance that homes and businesses could experience power cuts.
In its Wednesday morning forecast, the Met Office said: “Rain will soon clear from the far southeast of England, whilst gradually easing across northern Scotland. Otherwise Wednesday will bring sunshine and showers. Showers locally heavy, especially in the north where hail and thunder possible.”
From heatwave to heavy downpours
The cooler, wetter conditions follow the UK’s fifth heatwave of the summer. The hottest day of the year was recorded at Kew Gardens in London, when temperatures reached 38.1C.
Heavy downpours could also increase the risk of surface-water flooding, particularly where prolonged hot and dry weather has left the ground hard and less able to absorb sudden rainfall. The shift from hot and dry conditions to thunderstorms comes as the UK faces increasingly severe weather extremes.
Scientists say climate change, driven primarily by greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels, is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme heat and contributing to changing rainfall patterns.
