Thunderstorm warning at exact time ending Birmingham ‘heatwave’ confirmed

The mini heatwave in Birmingham, the Black Country and Solihull is set to end abruptly as the Met Office issues a storm warning. As temperatures reached 23 degrees Celsius, or 73 Fahrenheit in old money, on Friday (May 10) and Saturday, Britain’s Met Office issued a warning signaling the end of the good weather.

A yellow warning is in place for the West Midlands for heavy showers and thunderstorms, which “could lead to some disruption in places, particularly for travel. Isolated property flooding is possible Sunday (May 12) from noon to 10 p.m.

The deluge could affect those traveling in the region, as well as posing a risk of flooding, with a “slight chance” of power outages. Train and bus services may also be cancelled.

Read more: This weekend’s UK heatwave will see three parts of England toast ‘hottest’

The Met Office said: “Heavy showers and thunderstorms are likely to break out in the south of this area late Sunday morning and early Sunday afternoon, moving steadily north as they build into larger areas of rain before the area clears.

“Heavy rain is possible in a few places, with up to 30mm in less than an hour and perhaps 40-50mm in two to three hours, leading to surface water flooding. Hail, frequent lightning and strong wind gusts will be additional localized hazards.”

The warning covers the whole of the West Midlands, including Shropshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire, with the weather warning area stretching from Plymouth on the south coast to Scotland, covering the south west, Midlands, north west and most part of Wales. The forecast for the Midlands looks to have rain and thunderstorms arriving in the afternoon around 2pm and continuing into the evening.

Anyone at risk of flooding is urged to take steps to protect their property. Regarding the risk of thunderstorms, the Met Office has issued key advice for those nearby, especially if they are near trees and woodland.

An agency spokesman said: “If you are outside and hear thunder, protect yourself by finding a safe enclosed shelter such as a car. Do not shelter under or near trees or other structures that can be struck by lightning. If you are on high ground, move to low ground.”