'Hail and frequent lightning' expected as Met Office update weather warning

Olivia Williams

21 September 2024 at 4:02 am·1-min read

The Met Office has issued an update on a weather warning for thunderstorms. The yellow weather warning covers Liverpool and Wirral which was in place from 1am today, Saturday, September 21 to 23.59pm the same day.

According to the Met Office, the warning has been updated to extend it further north and east, while removing southeast England, and to increase the likelihood to low. Parts of Merseyside are still set to be hit by thunderstorms and heavy rain.

Forecasters predict where storms and heavy rain do occur, around 20 to 40mm of rain could fall in less than an hour. A spokesperson for the Met Office added: "With a small chance of isolated accumulations of 50 to 80 mm over the course of a few hours.

"In addition, hail and frequent lightning may accompany the most intense storms, especially during Saturday afternoon and evening in parts of the Midlands, western England and east Wales."

Thundery showers are predicted to hit Merseyside at around 5pm, according to the BBC weather forecast. This is what people could expect with today's weather, the Met Office said:

Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations of train and bus services
Power cuts might occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost
Flooding of homes and businesses could happen quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds
Fast-flowing or deep floodwater is possible, causing a danger to life
Some communities might become cut off if roads flood

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