Storm warning as thunder and rain to engulf most of UK with hardly anywhere spared

Bradley Jolly & Jamie Brassington

11 May 2024 at 10:22 am·3-min read

Thunderstorms and heavy downpours are to engulf most of the country in the coming hours after the UK experienced a recent mini-heatwave. Several yellow weather warnings have been issued by the Met Office covering large swathes of the British Isles - including the West Midlands.

Temperatures are likely to peak at 24C today, May 11, but fall by tomorrow with the arrival of downpours. The western and central areas of the UK are expected to brunt the worst of the weather on Sunday afternoon, May 12, reports MirrorOnline.

There could even be power cuts. The Met Office says weather warning will remain in place until Monday at 4am. The yellow weather warning includes the West Midlands region.

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A band of low pressure is moving in from the west. After buffeting central England and Wales, it will move northwards. Severe thunderstorms could arrive in Scotland by 10pm on Sunday night. Heavy showers and isolated thunderstorms may develop across western Northern Ireland during Sunday daytime.

The Met Office website reads: "Heavy showers and thunderstorms are likely to break out late Sunday morning and early Sunday afternoon, moving steadily north whilst growing into larger areas of rain before clearing the area. Some intense downpours are possible in a few places, giving up to 30 mm in less than hour and perhaps 40-50 mm over two to three hours leading to surface water flooding. Hail, frequent lightning strikes and strong wind gusts will be additional localised hazards."

What to Expect

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 to train and bus services
There is a slight chance that power cuts could occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost
There is a small chance of fast flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life, particularly in places such as road and railway underpasses.
There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds

Regions and local authorities affected:

East Midlands

Derby
Derbyshire
Leicester
Leicestershire
Northamptonshire
Nottingham
Nottinghamshire

London & South East England

Buckinghamshire
Hampshire
Oxfordshire
Reading
Southampton
West Berkshire
Windsor and Maidenhead
Wokingham

North West England

Blackburn with Darwen
Blackpool
Cheshire East
Cheshire West and Chester
Cumbria
Greater Manchester
Halton
Lancashire
Merseyside
Warrington

South West England

Bath and North East Somerset
Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole
Bristol
Devon
Dorset
Gloucestershire
North Somerset
Somerset
South Gloucestershire
Swindon
Torbay
Wiltshire

Wales

Blaenau Gwent
Bridgend
Caerphilly
Cardiff
Carmarthenshire
Ceredigion
Conwy
Denbighshire
Flintshire
Gwynedd
Isle of Anglesey
Merthyr Tydfil
Monmouthshire
Neath Port Talbot
Newport
Powys
Rhondda Cynon Taf
Swansea
Torfaen
Vale of Glamorgan
Wrexham

West Midlands

Herefordshire
Shropshire
Staffordshire
Stoke-on-Trent
Telford and Wrekin
Warwickshire
West Midlands Conurbation
Worcestershire

Yorkshire & Humber

North Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
West Yorkshire

Central, Tayside & Fife

Clackmannanshire
Falkirk
Fife
Perth and Kinross
Stirling

Highlands & Eilean Siar

Eilean Siar
Highland

North West England

Cumbria

SW Scotland, Lothian Borders

Dumfries and Galloway
West Lothian

Strathclyde

Argyll and Bute
East Ayrshire
East Dunbartonshire
East Renfrewshire
Glasgow
Inverclyde
North Ayrshire
North Lanarkshire
Renfrewshire
South Ayrshire
South Lanarkshire
West Dunbartonshire

Northern Ireland

County Armagh
County Fermanagh
County Londonderry
County Tyrone

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What to Expect

Regions and local authorities affected:

East Midlands

London & South East England

North West England

South West England

Wales

West Midlands

Yorkshire & Humber

Central, Tayside & Fife

Highlands & Eilean Siar

North West England

SW Scotland, Lothian Borders

Strathclyde

Northern Ireland

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