Thunderstorms hit parts of UK but staying hot in the south
Written by News on 06/07/2017
Parts of England and Wales are set to face "intense downpours" as thunderstorms move in over the course of Thursday.
There is also a warning of sudden flooding, affecting transport routes, homes and businesses.
Northern England, the Midlands, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and East Anglia are the most likely areas to see heavy showers, while some areas could also have hail and lightning.
Temperatures in the south could reach the low 30s, with scattered downpours.
Kirsty McCabe, Sky News Weather Producer, said: "Temperatures in the south will soar to the high 20s Celsius or even the low 30s in the sunshine on Thursday.
"However, it will feel quite humid in the heat and there is a threat of thunderstorms. These will be hit and miss, but torrential downpours are most likely for parts of northern England, eastern Wales, the Midlands, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and East Anglia.
"The thunderstorms will bring a risk of hail, lightning, gusty winds and around 30mm of rain in an hour, with 50 to 80mm in a few hours not out of the question."
London, the Midlands and up into Lincolnshire will see the highest temperatures.
Cooler air is filtering down from the northwest over the next few days, but it will remain very warm in the Southeast with temperatures into the high 20s over the weekend.
Flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, Chris Wilding, said: "Thunderstorms and intense, heavy rain are possible across parts of the country on Thursday and in eastern England during the early hours of Friday morning.
"This could lead to localised flooding and disruption to travel, particularly in urban areas."
Mr Wilding added: "Environment Agency teams are out on the ground and will support local authorities in responding to surface water flooding.
"We urge people not to drive though flood water – it is often deeper than it looks and just 30cm of flowing water is enough to float your car and cause an accident."
(c) Sky News 2017: Thunderstorms hit parts of UK but staying hot in the south
