Met Office issues new thunderstorm warning with risk of ‘sudden floods’

It's going to be a wet one.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but after a few days of warm and sunny weather thunderstorms are returning to the UK with the Met Office issuing yellow weather warnings.

There are three warnings for heavy rain and thunderstorms in place throughout the day on Tuesday – so make sure you don’t forget your raincoat.

Thick dark clouds will contrast with the skies above Scotland and Northern Ireland set to be filled with purple, lilac and green lights as people get a second chance to see the aurora borealis.

A yellow alert means that the weather will ‘likely cause some low-level impacts’, the Met Office says.

The first warning covers a large stretch of South West England, including Cornwall, Devon and Plymouth, and is in effect from 12pm to 9pm.

‘Heavy showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop during the afternoon across parts of south west England before slowly dying out during the evening,’ the Met Office says.

‘Many places will miss the worst.’

Where it does fall, however, will be slow-moving and intense. Expect about 300mm of rainfall in just one hour and, while unlikely, up to 50mm of rain chucking it down for three hours.

‘Frequent lightning strikes and hail are also possible,’ weather officials add.

For more than half of Northern Ireland, the second thunderstorm warning is active between 8am and 9pm.

There is a ‘small chance’ of fast-flowing or deep floodwater tomorrow, forecasters warn.

The Met Office adds: ‘Areas of rain, perhaps heavy, are likely to develop quite early on Tuesday, probably breaking down into slow-moving heavy showers and thunderstorms during the late-morning and the afternoon.

‘Showers and storms should ease into the evening.’

Some parts of the country will see as much as 60mm of rain bucketing it down in only an hour or two. Hail and lighting may be ‘secondary hazards’, too.

Forecasters say that people living within the yellow warnings should consider if their homes are vulnerable to flash flooding.

‘If you find yourself outside and hear thunder, protect yourself by finding a safe enclosed shelter (such as a car),’ the national weather service adds.

‘Do not shelter under or near trees, or other structures which may be struck by lightning.’

On top of checking road conditions before getting behind the wheel and keeping an eye on train timetables, people should also pack torches and mobile phone power banks in case of outages.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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