Fresh thunderstorm warnings issued for 64 areas amid flooding concerns

Thunderstorms and further flooding will hit parts of the UK on Friday as the Met Office issued fresh warnings for 64 areas.

Huge swathes of the country are under a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms, as authorities warned flooding is expected in two areas.

The Met Office urged people to expect disruption to public transport and potential flooding on roads, while those in the most at-risk areas have been told to prepare an emergency kit.

It comes after significant flooding hit parts of the UK on Wednesday. Residents in Perry Barr in Birmingham were left under “three feet of water” after thunderstorms caused a local brook to burst its banks, leaving cars stranded and water up to a metre in the worst-affected homes.

The thunderstorm warning covers parts of the East Midlands, east of England, Oxfordshire, north-east England, north-west England, south-west England, Wales, the West Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber. The warning comes into force at midday and ends at 9pm.

Authorities have issued flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, and flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible, for 31 areas on Friday. The Environment Agency has issued two flood warnings and 29 flood alerts across London, the Midlands, and the north of England.

It comes after weather warnings were also issued for thunderstorms across the UK on Wednesday, dropping up to 50mm of rain across a 12-hour period in some places.

Flood warnings and alerts are in place across several areas (Environment Agency)

Some heavy rain is expected on Friday, particularly in the north of England and Scotland. Elsewhere, showers will become increasingly widespread, locally heavy with isolated thunder, alongside sunny spells, forecasters said.

Thundery showers and heavy rain could return over the bank holiday weekend as a band of wet weather moves eastwards, but brighter conditions are expected next week.

Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said: “To sum up the bank holiday weekend, it’s going to be pretty unsettled; there will be some sunny moments in between if you can dodge the downpours.

“It’s not going to be a complete washout. If you’ve got outdoor plans over the weekend, keep a close eye as there will be rain moving in across most parts.”