Met Office issues nine-hour thunderstorm alert on bank holiday Monday

06/05/2024

The Met Office activated two urgent ‘danger to life’ thunderstorm warnings for parts of Britain today with some areas facing more than an inch of rain in just one hour.

Areas of the UK were enduring a washout Bank Holiday Monday with the South East bearing the brunt of the rain amid downpours in London for the whole day.

At 10.15am today, the Met Office issued a thunderstorm warning running between 12pm and 9pm for South London along with Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire.

A separate warning was also announced at the same time for parts of northern England and Scotland, from 1pm until 9pm. Areas hit by the storms and downpours are expected to see 0.8in (20mm) to 1.6in (40mm) of rain in one or two hours.

Forecasters warned that ‘spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions’, while communities could ‘become cut off by flooded roads’.

Train and bus services could be cancelled by flooding or lightning strikes, while there was also a risk of power cuts. Hail or strong winds could also hit, and ‘there is a small chance of fast flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life’.

In London, heavy downpours began at 8am this morning and are set to last until midnight – with the Met Office forecasting 14 hours of rain over a 16-hour period.

met office issues nine-hour thunderstorm alert on bank holiday monday

A very wet day on Brighton seafront today as much of southern England endures torrential rain

A wet day on Wimbledon Common in London this morning on a washout Bank Holiday Monday

A misty start to the day over the beach at Southbourne in Bournemouth, Dorset, this morning

People shelter from the rain beneath umbrellas as they walk near Buckingham Palace today

Cyclists make their way along wet roads in the Oxfordshire countryside at Dunsden today

People sit on a bench along the Thames Path at Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire today

The Met Office has issued two thunderstorm warnings for parts of Britain this afternoon

Rainfall totals will build in parts of the UK today, with 12-hour totals by 9pm shown in this map

Temperatures will only get up to 15C (59F) in the capital and it will remain cloudy with only a few sunny spells, while showers could turn thundery in the afternoon.

But in the sunshine elsewhere, the temperature is likely to hit the high teens – and East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire will see the warmest spells with highs of 21C (70F).

Meanwhile drivers have been warned to expect heavy traffic on ‘mayhem Monday’ as millions hit the roads on a glum day following the bank holiday weekend.

And in West Sussex, today’s League Two play-off semi-final first leg between Crawley and MK Dons was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch after torrential rain.

A very wet day on Brighton seafront today as much of southern England endures torrential rain

People shelter from the rain beneath umbrellas as they walk near Buckingham Palace today

Tourists shelter from the rain beneath umbrellas at the gates of Buckingham Palace today

Tourists shelter from the rain beneath umbrellas as they walk in Green Park in London today

A man holds a rain drenched dog outside Buckingham Palace in Central London today

Walkers make their way through Wimbledon Common in London under an umbrella today

People shelter from the rain as they walk through Green Park in London this afternoon

A very wet day on Brighton seafront today as much of southern England endures torrential rain

People shelter from the rain as they walk through Green Park in London this afternoon

The Met Office is forecasting 14 hours of rain over a 16-hour period in London from 8am today

The North will have a cloudy start to the day with some brighter spells and heavy showers developing.

Wet weather leads to foreign holidays surge

Britons hoping to escape the rain are making last-minute foreign holiday bookings for the two long weekends in May and the half-term holidays.

A fifth of business reported by independent travel companies at the moment is for departures this month – well above average for the time of year.

Kelly Cookes, chief commercial officer of the Advantage Travel Partnership group, told The Times: ‘We’ve had a mix of people who have been looking at the weather for this weekend and booking super last-minute as well as people who are planning something for later in the month. But across the board demand for May is really strong, up 10 per cent on last year.’

She added that the wet weather had played a ‘major role’ in the surge.

And the South will start with sunny spells before heavy showers and thunderstorms move in through the afternoon.

Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said: ‘Overall, it will be a mix of sunny spells and showers across the country. Anywhere could catch some rain so people should be prepared for that.

‘For people looking to get away, there will be some sunshine and warm spells. And if you manage to avoid showers, then it will be nice in the sun.’

Although there are no Met Office weather warnings in place today, the Environment Agency has 40 flood alerts in place for England – all of which are in the South East.

Also today, more than 2.6 million motorists face being stuck for hours on motorways at the end of the three-day weekend.

The RAC has warned drivers to avoid making journeys from 10am to 3pm because the motorways such as the M5 will be at their busiest.

And families were encouraged to plan their journeys in the early morning or evening as they warn of the busiest bank holiday since the end of the pandemic.

Alice Simpson from the RAC said: ‘With Covid travel restrictions a thing of the past, catching up with friends and family is still the first priority.’

Looking ahead to tomorrow, high pressure will build and bring a largely dry day for most areas with a few showers in the afternoon and highs of 20C (68F).

The Environment Agency has 40 flood alerts in England today with all of them in the South East

Better weather in Scarborough today as a couple brush sand from their feet next to the beach

A couple enjoy breakfast at a restaurant cafe on Scarborough seafront in sunny weather today

Three people sit on a bench on Scarborough seafront in North Yorkshire this morning

Deckchairs are put on the beach in preparation for visitors to Scarborough this morning

Settled conditions will continue for many into Wednesday with high pressure in charge and 19C (66F) highs, although there could be some rain for the north of Scotland and Northern Ireland.