Thunderstorm warning as ‘sudden flooding’ and ‘lightning strikes’ to hit parts of UK

Temperatures to plunge closer to average following warmest new year on record

A thunderstorm warning has been issued for parts of southern England and Wales (PA)

Thunderstorms are set to hit parts of the UK, with the Met Office warning of “sudden flooding” and lightning.

A weather warning has been issued for east, southeast and southwest England as well as parts of Wales until 6pm on Sunday.

The Met Office has predicted 15-20mm of rain call fall within an hour or less in some places, accompanied by lightning, hail and winds up to 50mph.

Forecasters are warning spray and sudden flooding caused by “intense” rain could lead to difficult driving conditions and road closures.

They anticipate some train and bus services could also be delayed or cancelled where flooding and lightning strikes occur.

There is also a risk of damage to trees and buildings, such as fallen branches and tiles blown from roofs, and power cuts.

Weather warnings have also been issued for wind and snow in Scotland on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Northern and eastern parts of the country are expected to be hit by frequent snow showers and gales up to 70mph all day on Tuesday until 6am on Wednesday.

Temperatures are expected to plunge across the UK next week with a return to more average weather for this time of year after England enjoyed its warmest New Year’s Day on record.

The Met Office has predicted daytime temperatures could fall as low as 3C in Edinburgh by Tuesday and 7C in London and Cardiff.

It comes after a high of 16.2C was recorded in St James’s Park, London, on New Year’s Day, beating the previous record of 15.6C set in Bude, Cornwall, in 1916.

On Friday, temperatures also climbed to 15.8C in Merryfield, Somerset, and Nantwich, Cheshire, beating the previous New Year’s Eve record of 14.8C.