More thunderstorms to hit UK as warnings issued

Heavy downpours could lead to flooding and travel disruption, the Met Office said.

In some areas up to 40mm (1.5inches) of rain could fall in a couple of hours, it said, warning that flash floods could cut off communities.

This could also lead to difficult driving conditions, some road closures and public transport delays, it added.

An alert covering central Scotland and Tayside, much of the borders, northern England and part of Wales is in place from 13:00 to 21:00.

Another alert covers a huge part of the south east of England, including London, Brighton, Portsmouth and Canterbury, between 12:00 and 21:00 today.

The Met Office said lightning strikes could also lead to public transport delays, and there was a "small chance" that homes and businesses could be flooded, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning, hail or strong winds.

The latest warnings come after thunderstorms rumbled across southern England and Wales last week - with many people woken in the early hours of Thursday by dramatic lightning strikes.

"While some areas of the UK have seen sunshine and temperatures into the low 20s Celsius, others have endured torrential downpours.

"On Sunday parts of eastern Scotland had half a month’s worth of rain in just a few hours, leading to flash flooding – and further heavy showers are expected today."

He said temperatures are set to climb after the weekend, reaching highs of 23 or 24C in the south by Friday.

"The warmth will be fairly widespread – although parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland are still likely to see some cooler and wetter interludes," he added.

-bbc