UK storm warning as Met Office puts millions in seven regions on lightning alert

The Met Office has put millions of people across seven regions on an urgent lightning alert.

They have issued a 27-hour warning across the south and south-west regions of England and Wales

The warning, which covers seven regions in Britain, states: “Rain, heavy and persistent at times, is expected to develop through Thursday evening, before affecting much of England and Wales through Friday. Rain gradually clears from the north through Friday afternoon and evening.

“Widely 10-20 mm of rain is likely but in the wettest spots 30-50 mm is possible, and some high ground of Wales especially could see 60 to 70 mm. Across the south of the area, it’s possible some thunderstorms may break out, and these could bring 20-30 mm of rainfall in a couple of hours.”

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The Met Office said people should expect spray and flooding on roads which could increase journey times.

They added that busses and trains would also be affected by the weather and that times on these forms of transport would also likely take longer.

What’s more, they warned that some businesses and homes could be affected by severe flooding because of the weather.

Because of the extent of the warning, tens of regions and local authorities could be affected by the severe conditions 

Regions affected by the storm include:

• East Midlands
• East of England
• London and South East England
• North West England
• South West England 
• Wales
• West Midlands

• Bedford
• Cambridgeshire
• Central Bedfordshire
• Essex
• Hertfordshire
• Luton
• Southend-on-Sea
• Suffolk
• Thurrock

• Bracknell Forest
• Brighton and Hove
• Buckinghamshire
• East Sussex
• Greater London
• Hampshire
• Isle of Wight
• Kent
• Medway
• Milton Keynes
• Oxfordshire
• Portsmouth
• Reading
• Slough
• Southampton
• Surrey
• West Berkshire
• West Sussex
• Windsor and Maidenhead
• Wokingham

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In the North West, Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, and Merseyside fall under the weather warning. 

In the South West, Corwall and Devon, 15 local authorities will be affected:

• Bath and North East Somerset
• Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole
• Bristol
• Cornwall
• Devon
• Dorset
• Gloucestershire
• Isles of Scilly
• North Somerset
• Plymouth
• Somerset
• South Gloucestershire
• Swindon
• Torbay
• Wiltshire

In Wales, towns across the breadth of the country are braced for the oncoming storm approaching. The local authorities include:

• Blaenau Gwent
• Bridgend
• Caerphilly
• Cardiff
• Carmarthenshire
• Ceredigion
• Conwy
• Denbighshire
• Flintshire
• Gwynedd
• Isle of Anglesey
• Merthyr Tydfil
• Monmouthshire
• Neath Port Talbot
• Newport
• Pembrokeshire
• Powys
• Rhondda Cynon Taf
• Swansea
• Torfaen
• Vale of Glamorgan
• Wrexham

• Herefordshire
• Shropshire
• Staffordshire
• Telford and Wrekin
• Warwickshire
• West Midlands Conurbation
• Worcestershire

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Should people decide to travel by car, the Met Office has also provided some guidance on what to do to ensure a safe journey when there is a risk of flooded roads.

They said: “If the road is flooded, turn around and find another route. The number one cause of death during flooding is driving through flood water, so the safest advice is to turn around, don’t drown.

“Although the water may seem shallow, just 12 inches (30cm) of moving water can float your car, potentially taking it to deeper water from which you may need rescuing

“Flood water also contains hidden hazards which can damage your car, and just an egg-cupful of water sucked into your car’s engine will lead to severe damage. Never drive through flood water. Turn around.”

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