UK weather forecast: Flood-hit residents told not to use toilets as fresh thunderstorms set to cause further misery

Thunderstorms, hail and heavy rain will batter central and eastern England tonight and tomorrow, causing disruption and flooding, meteorologists say.

The weather will again take a turn for the worse on Tuesday and Wednesday, as the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms for the south-east quarter of the UK, running from parts of the Midlands down to the southern coast.

“Thunderstorms may develop bringing torrential rain, hail and lightning to a few places, with potential disruption to travel and flooding,” says the warning.

Heavy rain is expected to hit Lincolnshire again, adding to the pressure on the flood-hit area of Wainfleet while government agencies battle to pump out excess water.

Residents have been told to avoid using toilets, washing machines and baths due to a strain on the sewerage system.

Occupants of some 590 evacuated homes might not be able to return until Friday 21 June.

Wainfleet first flooded on Wednesday 12 June after two months’ worth of rain fell in just two days in the area, in what the Environment Agency described as an “unprecedented” situation.

The River Steeping burst its banks on Wednesday, flooding some 130 homes and causing the evacuation of 590 in total.

On Monday, the Environment Agency Midlands said its teams had been pumping water away from Wainfleet overnight.

“So far, we’ve shifted 225 Olympic-sized swimming pools’ worth of water,” the agency tweeted.

It said river levels in the area continued to drop and the river bank repair was holding, but two flood warnings remain in place as the River Steeping’s levels remain high.

Further rain is expected for Tuesday and Wednesday, with likely thunderstorms across central and eastern England.

Meteorologists say there is a chance of train delays and cancellations across the region on Wednesday, as well as road closures and even power cuts to homes and businesses.

Northern England and north Wales will be warm and bright on Tuesday, but rainfall is forecast there too – as in the rest of England.

Scotland and Northern Ireland should manage to stay mostly dry.

The showers should move northward into Thursday and they will be heaviest in the north, leaving much of England and Wales to enjoy long sunny spells, although showers may develop again.

Scotland and Northern Ireland will again see frequent thundery showers on an otherwise good day on Thursday.

And summery weather might not develop for a long while, as meteorologists say the weather could potentially turn warm and settled – in late June.

The Met Office says that the UK will again be hit by moving bands of rain and changeable weather next week, especially in the north and the west.

Additional reporting by agencies