Thunderstorm warnings for much of England and Wales
Warnings have been given for thunderstorms in many areas of England and Wales due to a heatwave affecting much of the UK.
Severe rain, lightning, and thunderstorms are expected on Wednesday evening and continuing into Thursday, which could cause travel delays and electricity outages.
Warnings about flooding have been issued in certain areas of the Midlands as well.
The recent days have been very warm and this trend is expected to continue into Friday, with temperatures reaching up to 28C in southern England.
The yellow alerts impact the central, northern, southern, and south-eastern regions of England, along with central and eastern parts of Wales.
The Met Office reported that certain regions may experience challenging driving conditions and road closures, along with possible delays and cancellations to train and bus services.
It also cautioned that there could be harm to structures from rapidly moving water, lightning strikes, hail, or powerful winds, and that the overflow could present a threat to human life.
Residences and commercial properties could experience blackouts and disruptions to other services, according to the organization.
Dan Holley, who is a secondary chief weather predictor at the Met Office, mentioned that a warning for thunderstorms had been given out for a large region, but not all areas within that region would experience them.
He mentioned that the areas most affected would probably be in the middle, south, and southeast of England.
In some areas, there will be heavy rain, large hail, and many lightning strikes.
Some areas might experience between 50-100mm of rain within a short period of time.
Another yellow warning, specifically for the eastern and south-eastern regions of England, is currently in effect and is expected to continue until midnight on Wednesday.
The Environment Agency has also sent out eight flood alerts for areas in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Loughborough.
The rivers impacted are the Trent, Maun, and Leen. The agency stated that the places most in danger were flat farmland, roads, and pathways near small rivers and streams.
Residents are cautioned to steer clear of paths near bodies of water that are at a lower elevation and to carefully choose driving routes that do not include roads that are situated near rivers.
The UK experienced its warmest day of the year on Tuesday, with temperatures rising to 32C (90F) in both Heathrow and Kew Gardens, located in south-west London.
According to the Met Office in the UK, a heatwave is when a place experiences at least three days in a row with temperatures reaching or surpassing the heatwave threshold.
In London and the areas nearby, the temperature has risen above 28C since Monday. It was predicted that the temperature would stay at or above that level until Friday.
It looks like the warm weather will become a bit milder over the weekend, with temperatures reaching about 23C on Saturday.
The Met Office mentioned that there is still a chance of isolated thunderstorms in the eastern and south-eastern parts of England, but they will be less frequent and have less of an impact.
