Hail, lightning, and heavy rain set to lash south-west England, says Met Office

South-west England is set to be lashed with hail, lightning and up to 60mm of rain in just a few hours on Friday, the Met Office has warned.

The forecaster has announced a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms from 1pm to 9pm.

The warning covers parts of Devon and Cornwall, including Exeter and Plymouth.

Affected areas should expect slow-moving thunderstorms and torrential downpours.

⚠️ Yellow weather warning issued ⚠️

Thunderstorms across southwest England

Friday 1300-2100

Latest info https://t.co/QwDLMfRBfs

Stay #WeatherAware⚠️ pic.twitter.com/ilEC8gH5ST

— Met Office (@metoffice) July 12, 2024

Heavy downpours may bring between 15 to 30mm of rain in an hour and as much as 40 to 60mm in several hours for the worst affected areas.

Hail and lightning are also expected, the Met Office said.

The warning added that the weather could bring disruption to public transport, difficult driving conditions caused by spray and sudden flooding on roads, and power cuts.

However, the showers are expected to slowly ease in the evening.