Thunder bellows across London as storm finally hits amid yellow warning

Noisy thunder rolled through London on Thursday evening as a storm finally arrived in the city, with a yellow weather alert issued until midnight.

After basking in days of warm sunshine, the rain made its appearance following the record-breaking hottest day of the year on Tuesday, where temperatures reached a scorching 32C in Heathrow, west London.

The Met Office has put out a yellow warning for thunderstorms across most of England and Wales until midnight on Thursday, with temperatures remaining as high as 30C in certain areas of London.

The weather service has stated that the conditions may cause roads to close, train and bus services to be cancelled, and power outages.

The forecaster alerted that homes and businesses could quickly flood, causing damage to buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail, or strong winds.

Meteorologist Kathryn Chalk from the Met Office stated that the alert includes a "significant area" that stretches from eastern Wales and the Midlands, down to the South East region.

"This might cause chaos and splatter on the streets," she mentioned.

She mentioned that there may also be heavy rain, strong winds, lots of lightning, and hail.

She also mentioned that certain areas in the caution zone could experience as much as 50mm of rain within just one or two hours.

As we approach Friday, she mentioned the possibility of thunderstorms in the eastern part of England, with temperatures reaching as high as 30C.

"It's likely going to be pretty muggy in the East tomorrow," she mentioned.

In London, it's expected to reach a maximum temperature of 29C on Friday, then drop to 24C over the weekend.

On Saturday, there will be rain in the southern part of England, and temperatures will reach a high of 25C-26C.