Southern England will be battered by intense thunderstorms and torrential rain which could cause ‘significant’ flooding and a danger to life, forecasters warned today.
A seven-hour amber thunderstorm warning has been issued for tomorrow from 4am to 11am amid fears up to 4in (100mm) of rain could fall in a few hours – equivalent to more than a month’s worth of rain.
The alert from the Met Office covers millions of people across major towns and cities including London, Brighton, Portsmouth, Chelmsford, St Albans and Cambridge.
It is the first time an amber warning has been issued over London in 18 months since Storm Henk struck England and Wales with very strong winds in January 2024.
Forecasters warned of sudden flooding in roads and homes with some more remote communities at risk of being cut off, with delays to trains likely. Power cuts are feared and buildings could be damaged by floods, lightning strikes, hail and strong winds.
It comes as the second major hosepipe ban came into force today, with restrictions activated by South East Water for 1.4million people across Kent and Sussex in Ashford, Canterbury, Eastbourne, Maidstone, Haywards Heath and Tunbridge Wells.
Yorkshire Water became the first major water firm to bring in a ban last Friday – and Southern Water restrictions will start in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight from Monday.
Then from Tuesday, Thames Water will bring in a ban for customers in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, most of Wiltshire and some parts of Berkshire – but not London.
Meteorologists fear that the heavy rain will not make a major difference to the ground because surfaces are extremely dry and will therefore not absorb much water.Â
The Met Office has now issued six weather warnings for the next few days:
- Yellow – North East England, thunderstorms, today, from 12pm until 8pm
- Yellow – South East England, thunderstorms, today, from 9pm until 11.59pm
- Yellow – Most of England, thunderstorms, tomorrow, from 0am until 9pm
- Amber – South East England, thunderstorms, tomorrow, from 4am until 11am
- Yellow – Eastern Scotland, rain, tomorrow, from 4pm until 12pm Sunday
- Yellow – South West England, rain, Sunday, from 12pm until 3am Monday
Conditions will feel very humid today before the storms begin, with temperatures topping 30C (86F) in parts of central and southern England this afternoon.
Met Office yellow and amber thunderstorm warnings are in place across the UK tomorrow
An amber thunderstorm warning is in place for South East England tomorrow, from 4am to 11am
The rain will begin hitting areas of North East England such as Durham and North Yorkshire which could see up to 25mm (1in) of rain in less than an hour.
Up to 60mm (2.4in) of rain could accumulate over the North York Moors and East Yorkshire where storms align over similar areas.
Then into this evening, a separate area of thunderstorms will push northwards into the South East of England from France.
A yellow severe weather warning is in place from 9pm tonight until midnight for the South East.
Another warning covering most of England apart from the South West then begins at midnight tonight until 9pm tomorrow.
That warning area also covers the Greater Manchester region, where Oasis are playing their next two comeback gigs at Heaton Park tomorrow and on Saturday.
There will be an amber warning from 4am tomorrow morning until 11am covering south-eastern parts of England.
The Met Office said the warning area ‘includes London which is particularly susceptible to surface water issues during thunderstorms due to the high proportion of impermeable surfaces’.
Forecasters said that within this area, 20 to 40mm of rain could fall in an hour, with up to 70mm to 100mm accumulating in just a few hours, adding: ‘If these higher totals fall over urban areas, there could be notable impacts.’
A yellow warning for rain has also been issued for parts of Scotland from 4pm tomorrow until 12pm on Sunday.
Met Office chief meteorologist Andy Page said: ‘Intense rainfall will impact parts of the UK as thunderstorms move in from France.
South East Water has begun a hosepipe ban in the grey shaded area of Kent and Sussex today
‘A range of severe weather warnings have been issued, including an Amber warning covering southeast England and London. The intense rainfall could lead to surface water flooding as well as frequent lightning and hail too.
‘The situation is evolving, and warnings may be changed or added. This weekend is expected to be busy on the roads as more schools in England and Wales break up for the summer holidays, so it’s important people keep up-to-date with the very latest forecast.
‘There will be spells of more pleasant weather in parts of the UK through the weekend, with some sunny spells in between systems as they move through.’
On Sunday, widespread showers and thunderstorms are expected to continue, moving northwards throughout the day.
But parts of the UK will also experience warm weather and brighter, drier spells today and throughout the weekend, particularly in East and South East England.
Alex Burkill, a meteorologist at the Met Office, warned that the high temperatures could become ‘quite uncomfortable’ in some parts of the country.
He said: ‘In the south and east, there is further chance of staying dry and some decent sunshine on offer.
‘So there’s a lot of heat around, high humidity as well, quite uncomfortable for some of us.
‘As we go into the weekend, with the heat and the humidity, there’s a fairly strong chance that we are going to see some heavy, thundery rain, feeding up from the south.
Clouds over Lincoln Cathedral today as thunderstorms are set to batter the UK this weekend
People enjoy the sun at South Beach in the Studland Peninsula in Dorset on a hot day today
‘That is likely to become pretty widespread across much of the country as we go through Saturday and into Sunday.’
Next week is expected to continue to have unsettled weather, with a mixture of showers and thunderstorms and sunshine.
Temperatures will be warm depending on the sunshine and conditions may settle by mid-week with showers still in the east.
South East Water announced its hosepipe ban on July 11 as the ongoing dry weather and hot temperatures across England have resulted in record-breaking water demand.
The firm said the ban means customers in Kent and Sussex will not be able to use hosepipes for activities such as watering gardens and washing cars, windows and patios, or filling swimming and paddling pools.
It will be enforced from today and until further notice, with those who ignore the ban facing fines of up to £1,000.
But there was disbelief from some residents, including one who tweeted: ‘Since I heard of a hosepipe ban in Kent a few days ago, I have passed no less than three underground pipes that appear to have broken, and water has been coming out, on main roads.’
Another tweeted: ‘Water leak on Batts Bridge Road, Uckfield. Water leak in London Road, Burgess Hill. And yet we are subject to a hosepipe ban. What a shambles.’
A man tries to keep a woman dry while walking in the rain at Newcastle Quayside on Tuesday
The bed of Howden Reservoir at Bamford in the Peak District National Park on Wednesday
Downpours in London yesterday as a person sits across the Thames from the London Eye
In response, South East Water wrote: ‘We understand it’s frustrating to see leaks when there’s a hosepipe ban. We’re seeing record demand for drinking water in Kent and Sussex.’
Rosie Duffield, the independent MP for Canterbury in Kent, said at the time of South East Water’s announcement last week that a hosepipe ban had been ‘inevitable’ after supply issues had already impacted some areas.
She added: ‘Alongside many residents, I am angry as to why this was not called earlier to help prevent the unacceptable shortages and disruption suffered by many in our area.’
South East Water said in a statement last week: ‘Demand for drinking water in Kent and Sussex has reached record levels since May – with the ongoing warm and dry weather, we’re all using far more water than usual.
‘This situation has left us with no choice but to restrict the use of hosepipes and sprinklers, so we can help our reservoirs and underground water storage recover.
‘We also continue to monitor the situation in our Western region, where we serve customers in parts of Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire.’
Customers will only be allowed to use a hosepipe when it is required for unavoidable health or safety reasons, for the welfare of animals – including fish – and if the hosepipe is not connected to mains water supply, according to the water company.
People walk over the dry grass at Greenwich Park in South East London on Tuesday
Dried grounds surrounds pitches at Maidenhead and Bray Cricket Club in Berkshire on Tuesday
All four UK nations saw their warmest spring on record this year, with England experiencing the driest spring since 1893, according to the Met Office.
It has also been the driest start to the year since 1976 for England.
Rainfall across England was 20 per cent less than the long-term average for June, which was also the hottest on record for the country, with two heatwaves driving unusually high demand for water, the Environment Agency has said.
Drought was declared in East and West Midlands on Tuesday, with the region joining swathes of northern England in drought status.
The AA has urged drivers to prepare for disruption and take care on the roads.
The breakdown service said: ‘This amount of rain is well over a month’s worth for a normal July.
‘As well as heavy rain, impacts from frequent lightning, gusty winds and large hail are also likely.
‘These storms could affect some of the popular holiday routes for early departures on this year’s summer getaway.
‘While localised flash flooding and the sudden appearance of surface water are the usual dangers associated with summer heavy rain, the potential for slippery road surfaces at junctions and roundabouts is a hidden menace.’
