The Met Office has warned of 30mm of rain in less than an hour as thunderstorms threaten to break the record heatwave
The North West is set to feel the knock‐on effects of ferocious thunderstorms sweeping across England on Tuesday, as the Met Office names 42 regions braced for “frequent lightning and large hail”.
Several yellow thunderstorm alert have been issued by the weather service, covering 42 areas throughout the UK, effective from 3pm through to Tuesday evening (May 26).
The advisory encompasses portions of the East Midlands, East of England, London and South East England, North West England, South West England, West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber, according to the Mirror.
A Met Office spokesman said: “Whilst many areas will miss them and remain hot and sunny, isolated thunderstorms are possible this afternoon and into the evening. These could bring frequent lightning, large hail, gusty winds and the potential for 30mm of rain in less than an hour.”
Monday saw the mercury refuse to dip below 21.3C at Kenley Airfield in south London, marking the country’s warmest May night on record for the second day running, according to the Met Office.
Britain also registered its provisional hottest-ever meteorological spring reading when Kew Gardens in south-west London reached 34.8C on Monday.
Tuesday could witness the May temperature record tumbling once more, with forecasters predicting highs of 35C across extensive areas of southern England and Wales – potentially climbing to 36C, the Met Office indicated. These projections cover the Midlands, the South East, South West, East Anglia and South Wales.
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However, afternoon thunderstorms could develop, which would influence peak temperatures, the Met Office cautioned. The Met Office has issued warnings of potential disruption across areas under the yellow weather alert, with possible power outages and flooding anticipated.
It warns: “Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services. There is a slight chance that power cuts could occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost. Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures.
“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.”
Numerous locations throughout England and Wales are expected to hit heatwave criteria on Tuesday, with some experiencing their fifth consecutive day by Wednesday, according to Becky Mitchell, senior meteorologist at the Met Office.
By Sunday evening, heatwave thresholds had already been reached in eight English locations: Heathrow, Kew Gardens and Northolt in London; Benson in Oxfordshire; Brooms Barn and Santon Downham in Suffolk; High Beech and Writtle in Essex.
Areas affected by thunderstorm warning
North West England
Cheshire East
East Midlands
Derby
Derbyshire
Leicester
Leicestershire
Lincolnshire
Northamptonshire
Nottingham
Nottinghamshire
Rutland
East of England
Bedford
Cambridgeshire
Central Bedfordshire
Essex
Hertfordshire
Luton
Peterborough
Suffolk
London & South East England
Buckinghamshire
Milton Keynes
Oxfordshire
Reading
West Berkshire
Windsor and Maidenhead
Wokingham
South West England
Bath and North East Somerset
Bristol
Gloucestershire
North Somerset
Somerset
South Gloucestershire
Swindon
Wiltshire
West Midlands
Herefordshire
Shropshire
Staffordshire
Stoke-on-Trent
Warwickshire
West Midlands Conurbation
Worcestershire
Yorkshire & Humber
South Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
