Thunderstorm warning for London due to storms and heavy rain hitting the United Kingdom
A thunderstorm warning has come into effect for London as rain continues to fall in parts of the UK.
A yellow weather warning for thunderstorms began at 5 a.m. and lasts until midday Tuesday.
The Met Office said between 15 and 20 mm of rain could hit the affected area, which includes the capital, south-east and south-west England.
Some buildings could be damaged by lightning strikes or strong gusty winds – while brief power outages are also considered ‘possible’.
Drivers and those considering taking the bus should expect their trips to be longer due to drizzle, standing water and cold.
Trains and planes may also be delayed due to adverse weather conditions.
On Tuesday morning, the Environment Agency issued 11 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, with 120 fewer flood alerts also active.
Areas of concern include the River Severn in Gloucester and the River Eden in Cumbria.
Met Office meteorologist Marco Petagna said Storm Debbie was expected to move away from the UK to the east in the early hours of Tuesday, but “wet and windy weather” should persist.
He said on Monday: “Tomorrow morning will see heavy rain and possibly thunderstorms moving eastwards across southern England.
“We could see 15-20mm, roughly an inch, of rain across some southern counties in England accompanied by fairly gusty winds as well.
“We could get a week’s worth of rain within an hour or two in this warning area, and you can see wind speeds between 40 and 50 miles per hour.
“If you are in that warning area, it will be very difficult (to travel).
“Allow extra time for travel and continue to monitor the forecast throughout the night.
“If you are outside, take extra care and be prepared to see thundershowers.”
Petagna said a “very active” jet stream was causing most of the wet weather, and warned it showed “no sign” of stopping in the next week.
“The active jet stream helps move a deep area of low pressure,” he said. It’s a long, long way south, and much of the UK is in the line of fire.
“The next week or so will remain largely unsettled, with some brighter periods but not for long.”
Despite the humid weather, temperatures at this time of year can be expected to range between 9-12°C.
The warnings come as Storm Debbie caused winds of up to 70 mph on Monday, leading to flight cancellations.
British Airways said that it, like other airlines, had been forced to “make a small number of cancellations” due to bad weather that reduced the number of flights air traffic controllers would allow to land per hour.
A company spokesperson said: “We have apologized to our customers for the disruption to their travel plans, and our teams are working hard to get them on their way as quickly as possible.”
