Met Office ‘seven hour’ thunderstorm warning for UK

A thunderstorm warning from the Met Office will come into effect for parts of the UK today.

The yellow weather warning covers parts of Wales, the Midlands and southern England. It will come into force today (Saturday) at 1pm and last until 8pm.

In areas covered by the storm warning, forecasters predict that ‘wWhile not all places will see them, heavy, slow-moving showers and thunderstorms may lead to some flooding and disruption in some places.” Heavy rain is expected to cause some travel disruption on roads, trains and buses this afternoon and there is a “slight chance” of flooding.

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Areas covered by the warning include Swansea, Cardiff, Bath, Exeter and parts of Cornwall. Greater Manchester is not expected to be affected, with forecasters predicting a mostly dry and sunny day for our region with some intervals of cloud.

As temperatures rise to 23C this afternoon, our region is forecast to be warmer than Barcelona. Forecasters are predicting that Sunday will be another hot and sunny day, with temperatures warmer than 23 degrees Celsius.

Areas affected by the warning include:

South West England

Wales

• Blaenau Gwent

• Bridgend

• Caerphilly

• Cardiff

• Carmarthenshire

• Ceredigion

• Gwynedd

• Merthyr Tydfil

• Monmouthshire

• Neath Port Talbot

• Newport

• Powys

• Rhondda Cynon Taff

• Swansea

• Torfaen

• The Vale of Glamorgan

West Midlands

The full warning on the Met Office website says: “Consider if your location is at risk of flash flooding. If so, consider preparing a flood plan and flood emergency kit.

“Prepare to protect your property and people from injury. Before gusts of wind arrive, check to make sure movable objects or temporary structures are well secured. Items include: bins, garden furniture, trampolines, tents, gazebos, sheds and fences.

“Give yourself the best chance of avoiding delays by checking road conditions if you’re driving, or bus and train timetables, changing your travel plans if necessary.

“People cope better with power outages when they have prepared for them in advance. It’s easy to do; consider packing torches and batteries, a cell phone power pack, and other essentials. If you are outside and hear thunder, protect yourself by finding a safe enclosed shelter (such as a car).

“Do not take shelter under or near trees or other structures that can be struck by lightning. If you are in an elevated area, move to lower ground. Be prepared for weather warnings to change quickly: when a weather warning is issued, the Met Office recommends keeping up to date with the weather forecast in your area.”

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