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A yellow weather warning for thunderstorms has been issued across parts of England and Wales, with forecasters predicting flooding, travel disruption and lightning strikes following a record-breaking spell of May heat.
The U.K.'s national weather agency, Met Office, said the warning will remain in force until midnight, covering much of Wales and parts of southwest England, including Bath and North East Somerset, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cornwall, Devon and Dorset.
Heavy rain, hail and lightning are expected to develop through the afternoon and evening. Drivers have been warned to expect difficult conditions due to spray and surface water on roads.
Forecasters said some areas could see sudden downpours leading to localized flooding, while short-term power cuts and damage to buildings caused by lightning strikes are also possible.
Public transport services could face delays, particularly during the evening rush hour, as storms move across affected areas.
The warning follows a record-breaking May heat wave that brought warm and humid conditions to parts of the U.K. earlier in the week. The Met Office said those conditions increased the likelihood of thunderstorm development, with some areas expected to see intense rainfall in a short period of time.
Meteorologists said the unsettled weather is likely to bring an end to the recent hot spell, with cooler temperatures forecast later in the week.
An April report by the European Copernicus Climate Change Service and the World Meteorological Organization found that Europe has warmed at twice the global average rate since the 1980s, with heat waves becoming more frequent and severe across at least 95% of the continent.
Scientists say rising greenhouse gas levels from human activity are making extreme weather events—including heat waves, droughts and floods—occur more often and with greater intensity. The Met Office said the unsettled weather brought by the incoming storms is likely to bring an end to the recent hot spell, with cooler temperatures forecast later in the week.
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