A yellow thunderstorm warning has been issued for today as Brits swelter under the hottest day of the year so far.
The warning comes into place from 3pm today, with ‘ the most intense storms producing lightning, large hail and gusty winds, along with some heavy downpours’, the Met Office forecasts.
Parts of the East and West Midlands, the North East and North West of England are all covered under the warning.
Wales and Yorkshire also face intense storms.
There is a ‘small chance’ homes and businesses could face power cuts, and communities cut off by flooding.
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It comes as the latest spell of hot weather is expected to peak today – with temperatures of 34°C, below the June record of 35.6°C in 1976.
Wildfire warnings are also in place, along with amber health warnings in parts of the UK.
London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne said: ‘With temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius and the driest spring in over a century, the risk of fires spreading rapidly is high.
‘With so many of our open spaces close to homes and livelihoods, it is vital we all play our part to reduce the chance of grass fires breaking out in the first place and to protect our communities from incidents.’
Aidan McGivern, from the Met Office said: ‘We keep the plume of warmth and increasingly humid air across eastern parts of the UK on Saturday night, so another uncomfortable night for sleeping in the east, a little more comfortable in the west.’
By Sunday, the warmer system will move northeastwards and bring with it fresher air from the Atlantic.
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