The Met Office is issuing a seven-hour thunderstorm warning for Saturday 18 May

The Met Office has issued an urgent seven-hour thunderstorm warning for parts of the UK, which is due to come into force on Saturday afternoon. The yellow weather warning for thunderstorms comes into force at 13:00 and will last until 20:00.

A Met Office spokesman said: “Although not all places will see them, slow-moving heavy showers and thunderstorms may lead to some flooding and disruption in some places.”

The heart of the storms will be the west of England and South Wales – stretching as far as Mid Wales and as far as Bath. The warning says: “Heavy, slow-moving and scattered showers and thunderstorms are likely to develop across parts of Wales and south-west England during Saturday afternoon. Two.

“There is a slight chance of repeated showers resulting in 40-50mm in a few places. Showers and thunderstorms will gradually fade during Saturday evening.”

What to expect

• Spraying and flash flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
• There is a small chance that some communities will be temporarily closed by flooded roads
• Where there is flooding or lightning, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations of train and bus services
• There is a small chance that homes and businesses will be flooded quickly, with some buildings damaged by floodwater.

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