UK weather latest: Forecasters warn of floods and 'potential risk to life' as thunderstorms and hail predicted
'Flooding of homes and businesses is likely and could happen quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds'
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Your support makes all the difference.Parts of the UK have been warned to expect a month of rain and potential floods which could ruin homes and businesses.
The Met Office has issued an amber rain warning for London and the south east, the south west, Wales and the West Midlands.
Residents have been told to expect a mix of thunderstorms, torrential rain, lightning and large hail – posing a potential risk to life.
“We’ve got quite a few warnings issued for thunderstorms and very heavy rain for mainly the southern parts of the UK,” Bonnie Diamond, a spokesperson for the Met Office, told The Independent.
“We have an amber warning ... and in the heaviest downpours we could see upwards of 60mm falling within two to three hours,” she said, while other areas could see torrential rain deliver 30-40mm of rain within an hour.
“If we do see those heavy downpours there is the potential we could see those figures reaching upwards of 60mm, then that would suggest some places may see their monthly total for rain being met within a day.”
Ms Diamond added: “We are forecasting torrential downpours that will lead lead to potential flooding in places.
“But certainly there is a risk of dangerous treacherous conditions from the rainfall which may lead to flash flooding. So driving will be difficult and there could be potential disruption to public transport.”
It comes after a man in his 80s died after his car was submerged in flash floods in Walsall earlier this week.
Early afternoon thunderstorms are expected to become slow-moving and merge together to produce “larger and persistent areas of thunderstorms,” the Met Office said.
It also warned of “frequent lightning and large hail”.
Its amber weather warning for rain said: “Flooding of homes and businesses is likely and could happen quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds.
“Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, delays and some cancellations to train, bus and air services are likely.”
It added: “Spray and sudden flooding probably leading to difficult driving conditions and some road closures and some communities likely to become cut off if roads flood.
“Power cuts likely to occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost.”
The Met Office also issued yellow rain warnings across Britain on Friday, with Scotland continuing to be affected on Saturday.
Yellow warnings are mostly issued when it is likely the weather will have a low-level impact, such as disruption to travel, or when the certainty of a severe impact being caused is lower.
Amber warnings are due to an increased likelihood of impact from severe weather, including travel delays, road and rail closures, power cuts and “the potential risk to life and property”.
The Environment Agency has urged people to check their flood risk, particularly if driving or staying in unfamiliar locations over the half-term break.
It said communities in the south eest, Hampshire and the West Midlands are most at risk and warned people not to drive through flood water.
Additional reporting by Press Association
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