UK weather: Thunderstorms and torrential rain follow hottest day of the year

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for much of the UK

Thunderstorms and torrential rain are forecast to sweep across the UK following the hottest day of the year so far.

The Met Office has warned Friday’s storms could bring lightning, hail and flooding to some areas, with up to 50mm of rain falling in an hour in some parts of the country.

A yellow weather warning is in place for most of England, Scotland and east Wales from midday Friday to 9am on Saturday.

The southwest and parts of the southeast coast of England are not covered by the warning.

Despite the thundery conditions, it will remain warm and humid with highs of 31C forecast in the southeast.

Met Office meteorologist Craig Snell said: “Not everyone will see a storm, but if you catch one, you will certainly know about it.”

The change in weather comes after the UK experienced its hottest day of the year so far on Thursday, with the mercury rising to 33.4C (92.1F) at Heathrow Airport in west London.

The heatwave has seen thousands of people flock to the south coast in the past few days, resulting in a major incident being declared in Bournemouth on Thursday.

Professor Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England, has urged people to continue following social distancing guidelines, warning that the pandemic is not over.

“Naturally people will want to enjoy the sun but we need to do so in a way that is safe for all,” he said.

Scotland and Wales also experienced their hottest days of the year so far, with the former recording 30.8C (87.4F) in Prestwick, and the latter seeing temperatures rise to 31.4C (88.5F) in Trawsgoed, near Aberystwyth.

Temperatures on Friday are forecast to reach 31C (87.8F) in London, the mid-20s for the rest of England and up to 27C (80.6F) in the Scottish Highlands, making for a “relatively warm and humid” day, Mr Snell said.

The storms are expected to clear northeastwards on Friday afternoon and into the evening, but will remain over northeast Scotland until Saturday morning, the Met Office said.

The Environment Agency issued two flood alerts – meaning flooding is possible – for the waterways around Loughborough in Leicestershire and the River Trent tributaries in Nottinghamshire.

Temperatures are expected to drop on Saturday to 22C to 23C (73.4F) in London, and stay around the “high teens to low 20s” for the rest of the UK, Mr Snell said.

He added: “It (the weather) will change, but it will be more what people expect our summer to be like – a mix of sun and showers.”

Earlier on Thursday, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council said it was left with no choice but to declare a major incident after services were “completely overstretched” as huge numbers of visitors defied advice to stay away from its beaches.

Council chiefs condemned the “irresponsible” behaviour of crowds who gridlocked roads, dumped rubbish, abused refuse collectors and parked illegally, the council said extra police patrols have been brought in.

There have been warnings not to be tempted to cool off in open water, following the deaths of two people in recent days in Berkshire and Scotland.

A 10-year-old boy died after getting into difficulty in Loch Lubnaig, near Callander in the Highlands, on Wednesday evening, Police Scotland said.

Meanwhile, a body was found following a search for a missing man at Lulle Brook in Cookham, Berkshire.