UK weather forecast – Floods to wreak havoc as Met Office thunderstorm warning predicts travel chaos and damage
FLASH floods are set to wreak havoc in the UK today – with weather forecasters warning of travel disruption and property damage.
Heavy showers are set to disrupt journeys and bring a risk of flooding starting at about midday today – as the yellow weather warning comes into effect.
Much of Scotland and northern England – where the weather warning is in place – could see between 20-30mm of rainfall in an hour and up to 50mm in just a few hours.
The Met Office warned: "Heavy showers and thunderstorms are likely to develop during Thursday afternoon across parts of Scotland and northern England.
"Whilst many areas will miss the heaviest rain, where heavy showers and thunderstorms do develop they will be slow-moving bringing the potential for 20-30 mm of rain in an hour and 40-50 mm in 2-3 hours.
"Showers and thunderstorms will gradually die out during Thursday evening."
SUNSHINE AND SHOWERS
Elsewhere, rain and thick cloud will make it a dreary day for millions – especially in northern, central and western parts.
Further south will see brighter conditions throughout the day.
The Met Office said: "Rather cloudy at first with some rain across central and northern parts.
"Brightening up away from northern and western coasts with sunny spells and showers developing, these most frequent in the east.
"Thundery downpours over eastern Scotland and northeast England."
'THREAT TO LIFE' WARNING
The yellow weather warning will come into effect from midday today – prompting a dire "danger to life" warning.
The Met Office issued the chilling forecast for heavy rain amid fears of homes being flooded and travel chaos for millions.
Those worst affected will be in parts of Scotland, East Midlands, North East England, North West England and Yorkshire.
The warning reads: "Heavy showers and thunderstorms may cause some travel disruption and flooding in places during Thursday afternoon and evening.
"There is a small chance of fast flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life."
Weather conditions could get even worse by Friday – as the heavy and thundery showers get into full swing.
But it’s not all bad news as a "hot air plume" is predicted to arrive on Saturday – potentially bringing with it highs of 28C.
The Weather Channel has forecast an explosion of heatwaves before the end of the summer.
HOT AIR PLUME
Leon Brown, head of meteorological operations at the Weather Channel, says the first "hot air plume" will arrive on Saturday.
He said: “After unprecedented June heat across Europe, four more periods people would call heatwaves are forecast in the UK this summer.
“Each period would see maximum temperatures reach at least 28C, 5C above London's 23C average summer maximum temperature.”
However, the Met Office said it was impossible to accurately predict more than five days ahead – and said that highs of 28C this Saturday were unlikely.
Becky Mitchell of the Met Office said: "We’re going to see some higher temperatures this week, starting off in the low 20s, and it will turn warmer during the rest of the week.
"At the moment it looks like temperatures will probably peak on Friday with highs of 26C, but at the weekend things might turn a little fresher, though it will likely stay in the low 20s."
Ms Mitchell said sunshine and showers would mark the rest of the week, with thunderstorms triggered by the humidity likely on Friday.
The Met Office forecaster said that there was a "slightly higher likelihood" we'd see above average temperatures in the next month.
The average July temperatures for the UK as a whole are 19C, though in the south an average would be more like 25C.
A heatwave is defined by three or more days at a consistently high temperature.
For most of the UK this would be 25C and above, though in London it would have to reach 28C.
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