Mapped: Met Office issues 10-hour warning for thunderstorms for UK

Alex Ross
·2 min read
The south and east will remain warm but large parts of the country face stormy weather (Alamy)
The south and east will remain warm but large parts of the country face stormy weather (Alamy)

Heavy showers and thunderstorms are set to hit large parts of the UK on Sunday – after the country recorded the warmest day of the year so far on Saturday.

The Met Office has issued three yellow thunderstorm warnings from midday, with people warned of the chance of flooding and power cuts.

It will feel warm and humid, it said, with temperatures set to hit 27C in the southeast.

The first alert covering most areas of the west of the UK, including the majority of Wales, comes in at midday and lasts until 10pm.

The second is for the western half of Northern Ireland between 11am and 7pm. The third is for western parts of Scotland between 2pm on Sunday to 4am on Monday.

The Met Office has issued three yellow warnings for thunderstorms on Sunday (Met Office)
The Met Office has issued three yellow warnings for thunderstorms on Sunday (Met Office)

Simon Partridge, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said the record for the warmest day of the year so far on Saturday was “not likely to last long”.

He added: “The difference tomorrow is that it is not likely to be as warm for Northern Ireland, Wales or Scotland.

“The really warm air will probably be confined to southern and eastern parts of England, with temperatures expected to peak in central parts of the country at around 27C.”

On Saturday, temperatures peaked at 25.9C in Herstmonceux, East Sussex, and in northern Scotland a temperature of 25.7C was recorded in Cassley.

But unlike on Saturday, Mr Partridge said significant rainfall was expected on Sunday.

The southeast will experience dry and warm weather on Sunday (Met Office)
The southeast will experience dry and warm weather on Sunday (Met Office)

People in areas with a yellow warning should expect some disruption, especially to travel.

Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and there is a slight chance of power cuts, the Met Office said.

Temperatures climbed steadily over the past week, with the previous year record set on Thursday, with a peak of 24.6C in London’s St James’s Park.

The Royal Life Saving Society UK has warned that warmer weather is directly linked to an increase in fatal drowning incidents.

On Friday, 17-year-old Ronalds Abele died after getting into difficulty while swimming at the Embankment, in Wellingborough, and was pulled from the water by emergency services, Northamptonshire Police said. He was pronounced dead in hospital.