The Red Arrows display at the Southport Air Show was brought to an abrupt end this afternoon, with an announcement telling attendees it was "unsafe" for the team to continue due to the weather.
The official aerobatic display team of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force had delighted attendees at the show yesterday with their showcase of speed and precision flying. As per the schedule, they took to the skies again at today's show at 3.30pm, but the performance stopped after just two minutes.
Conditions had started off as dry, but it was raining heavily as the Red Arrows display started. Around 200 people were near the seafront, including lots of families, at the time.
Further cancellations at the air show
Two more of today's displays, the 1.19pm for Tutor and 2.57pm for the Aerosuperbatics Wingwalkers, were cancelled. The Typhoon display, the final act of the day, went ahead as planned.
The Southport Air Show page said weather conditions were being continually monitored and any decisions regarding the flying programme will be made with safety in mind.
A spokesperson for the Air Show said: "Weather conditions are monitored throughout the day, and any decisions regarding the flying programme are made with safety as the top priority. Please follow Southport Air Show for the latest updates. Thank you for your understanding and support. We hope you have a fantastic day at Southport Air Show."
Met Office yellow weather warning
Earlier today the Met Office issued a new 13-hour yellow weather warning for Merseyside. It has been in force from 11am today, Sunday August 30, and will remain in place until 11.59pm this evening.
Guidance shared by the weather forecaster said: "Showers, heavy and thundery, will reach southwest England and Wales later Sunday morning, before spreading and developing more widely during the afternoon. Whilst some areas will miss the heaviest showers, where they do occur 10-15mm of rain is possible in less than an hour, with 30-40mm possible over several hours, these larger totals most likely for parts of north and northwest England and southwest Scotland. Hail, frequent lightning and, in southern parts of England and Wales, wind gusts of 35-45 mph will be additional hazards. Heaviest showers and thunderstorms will become more isolated later in the evening."
Anyone in the affected areas has been warned to expect disrupted driving conditions, as longer journeys may be a result of spray and hail. Delays to train services are also possible.
The Met Office said short-term loss of power and other services is likely, with some flooding of a few homes and businesses possible. People should give themselves the best chance of avoiding delays by checking road conditions if driving, or bus and train timetables, amending travel plans if necessary.
It comes after continued hot weather across the UK, which coincided with extremely dry conditions. The Met Office has previously said the UK is on course for its hottest summer on record after five heatwaves, with temperatures of up to 38.1C recorded in London.
