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UK weather: Thunderstorm and flood warnings in force as heatwave continues

Sunbathers at Southend on Monday. Temperatures are expected to be high again on Tuesday - GETTY IMAGES
Sunbathers at Southend on Monday. Temperatures are expected to be high again on Tuesday - GETTY IMAGES

Thunderstorm and flood warnings are still in place for most of the UK on Wednesday, while high temperatures are forecast again for many parts of England.

The Met Office has issued a yellow storm warning for all of England and the eastern half of Scotland, with a more serious amber warning pertaining to eastern Scotland between Edinburgh, Inverness and Aberdeen.

An amber warning means people should be on alert for flash flooding and building damage from lightning strikes, floodwaters and hailstones. Delays to public transport, difficult driving conditions and possible road closures could also follow, while deep and fast floodwater could be a threat to human life.

Parts of Scotland were flooded overnight, leaving homes and businesses knee deep in water on Wednesday morning.

The storms also caused internet outages for BT customers in parts of the UK, after equipment was damaged in an exchange building in Edinburgh.

Alton Towers resort said an overnight electrical storm had led to the park's water supply being interrupted. In a statement on Twitter, the Staffordshire theme park said: "Please do not travel to the resort.

"We will re-validate any guests who have booked a ticket for today and had their visit to Alton Towers Resort interrupted."

Under its yellow warning, the Met Office is predicting storms in particular for the north-west, north Wales and the West Midlands for Wednesday and Thursday.

Steve Ramsdale, Chief meteorologist, said in these areas "exceptional rainfall totals could be seen of 60 millimetres in an hour with a very small chance of 150 millimetres of rainfall in three or four hours".

The Environment Agency has five flood alerts posted for possible flooding in areas around Birmingham, while 17 flood alerts remain current across Scotland.

England's heatwave is set to continue, with London expecting a top temperature today of 31 degrees, which is also forecast for other areas including Cambridge, Yeovil and Southampton.

Weather forecast | Wednesday 12 August 2020
Weather forecast | Wednesday 12 August 2020

It will also be warm further north, with Leeds, Sheffield and Nottingham expecting 30 degrees, as is Birmingham and Cardiff.

Ten properties in Lancashire were affected by flooding on Tuesday following overnight storms, the Environment Agency said.

The rainfall caused the Burrow Beck waterway in Scotforth, south Lancaster, to rise by almost a metre in less than three hours, the agency's flood risk manager Andy Brown said.

The Environment Agency said further heavy showers could cause more flooding in "mostly urban areas" of England until Friday, with some homes being affected.

Follow the latest updates below.