Londoners woke up to grey skies after another muggy night – and the UK weather has more in store today.
People heading out and about today should carry an umbrella because thunder and heavy rain are forecast in London and most of the south today.
The Met Office issued a yellow thunderstorm warning that will also bring heavy showers today.
Road travel could be disrupted when the worst of the weather hits from 10am onwards.
Here is a roundup of what areas are affected by the thunderstorm and what to expect.
Weather warning on Thursday, July 31
The latest yellow warning is active from 10am until 9pm today – July 31.
The Met Office said: ‘Thunderstorms and heavy showers are expected to develop during Thursday morning and through the afternoon. These could produce torrential downpours in a few places with as much as 25-35 mm of rain falling within an hour and perhaps 60 mm within 2 hours. Frequent lightning and hail will be additional hazards.’
Drivers in some areas could face difficult conditions due to spray, and roads prone to flooding could become suddenly waterlogged.
And on the railways, flooding and lightning strikes could lead to delays and cancellations.
Despite the bleak forecast today, there are no active flood warnings or alerts in place in England this morning.
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What areas are affected by the weather warning?
London and South East of England
- Bracknell Forest
- Brighton and Hove
- Buckinghamshire
- East Sussex
- Greater London
- Hampshire
- Isle of Wight
- Kent
- Medway
- Oxfordshire
- Portsmouth
- Reading
- Slough
- Southampton
- Surrey
- West Berkshire
- West Sussex
- Windsor and Maidenhead
- Wokingham
South West
- Wiltshire
- Bath and North East Somerset
- Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole
- Bristol
- Dorset
- Gloucestershire
- North Somerset
- Somerset
- South Gloucestershire
- Swindon
East of England
- Central Bedfordshire
- Essex
- Hertfordshire
- Luton
- Southend-on-Sea
- Suffolk
- Thurrock
Today’s rain will come as a welcome change after many parts of the UK have seen drought conditions in June and July.
Water reservoirs and groundwater levels were declining, the Environment Agency warned after the driest start to the year since 1976.
The dry conditions mean millions of people are now under a hosepipe ban due to ‘critically low’ water levels.
In the ban areas, people are not allowed to use a hosepipe to water plants or gardens, wash vehicles or paths, terraces and windows or fill a swiming or a paddling pool.
Weekend weather forecast
The low-pressure thunder front is set to pass by this evening, making way for more sunshine and clearer skies.
In London, temperatures will climb up to 24C on Saturday, while Sunday looks warm but with some cloud.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
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