Yellow weather warning as Met Office predicts two week’s rain to fall in two hours

• The weather warning covers London, the south east and the midlands 
• Half a month’s rain is expected to fall in just two hours leading to flooding 

More than half a month’s rain could fall within a couple of hours this afternoon, leading to localised flooding and major traffic disruption, the Met Office has warned. 

A Yellow weather warning has been in place since 6am for an area stretching from Birmingham in the north, to Bath in the west, covering the entire south coast up to the Thames estuary. 

According to the Met Office: ‘A line of thunderstorms are expected to develop during Friday morning and move gradually northeast before weakening into the afternoon. 

‘Whilst most places will only see a short period of heavy rain, a few places may see 30-40 mm of rain in less than 2 hours. In addition to heavy rain, some thunderstorms may produce frequent lightning.’

As well as flooding, the Met Office has warned thunder and lightning could lead to power cuts. 

This woman braved the waves whipped up by high winds at Southwold Beach in Suffolk this morning ahead of predicted torrential rain and thunder showers

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning covering an area stretching along the south coast, through London and up to Birmingham in the north and Bristol in the west

Anyone travelling ahead of the weekend has been warned their journeys could face disruption and have been advised to leave plenty of time. 

The spokesperson said: ‘There is a good chance driving conditions will be affected by spray, standing water, leading to longer journey times by car and bus

‘There is a chance of flooding of a few homes and businesses, leading to some damage to buildings or structures

‘A chance of some damage to a few buildings and structures from lightning strikes, as well as short term loss of power.’ 

It is predicted that strong winds will come from the east, leading to the possibility of fallen trees or damage to temporary structures such as marquees and tents. 

Earlier, retailers said unpredictable weather during the summer has hit their margins.  

The Met Office has warned people to take extra care during the expected storms which could lead to localised flooding and damage to trees and temporary structures

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