UK weather: Met Office issues 23-hour thunderstorm warning for TODAY as flooding, lightning & large hail strikes nation

THE Met Office has issued a 23-hour thunderstorm warning for today – with flooding, lightning and large hail set to strike the nation.

A yellow warning for thunderstorms and heavy showers is in force across much of southern England and Wales.

Gales tore through Aldershot in Hampshire yesterdayUKNIP

UKNIPThe fast winds damaged trees and properties[/caption]

The Met Office has issued a thunderstorm warning today

Lightning damage to buildings, disruption to public transport and flooding should be expected within the warning zone.

The yellow warning covers all of Wales and south west England, the Midlands and parts of the south east and north.

It came into effect at 1am this morning and will stay in place until midnight.

Another yellow rain warning for rain will come into force tomorrow for Wales and central south-west England.

Affected areas could see between 50mm and 70mm of rainfall over a few hours, accompanied by hail and frequent lightning.

Met Office expert Jason Kelly said: “The warnings cover the areas of the country most at risk of seeing thunderstorms.

“But not everyone within a warning area will experience a thunderstorm. For many much of the time it will remain dry.”

Forecaster Dan Harris said the wet weather is expected to continue into next week.

He said: “We are expecting the area of persistent and at times heavy rain to have developed by the end of Sunday.

“It will most likely continue for some parts of southern UK through at least the first part of Monday, before starting to clear eastwards.

“By this time, however, confidence falls sharply in terms of both its exact location and rainfall amounts.”

Yesterday howling winds swept through the Hampshire town of Aldershot – damaging homes and trees.

Firefighters were scrambled after a column of air moved 1.2 miles through the town just after noon.

Footage showed the winds ripping tiles off roofs and blowing them across the street.

But no one was injured by the fast winds, a spokesperson for the local council said.