The Met Office has issued yellow thunderstorm warnings covering northern England, Northern Ireland and eastern Scotland, cautioning that heavy downpours could trigger flash flooding, travel delays and power cuts. The alerts took effect on Wednesday, with forecasters warning that homes and businesses in affected areas could be inundated as the wet weather moves through.
In Northern Ireland, the warning runs from midday until 23:59 BST on Wednesday. Eastern Scotland, including Aberdeen, is covered between 14:00 and 21:00 on the same day, while the warning for northern England, taking in cities such as Manchester and Newcastle upon Tyne, begins at 19:00 on Wednesday and continues until 10:00 on Thursday morning.
How severe could the rainfall be?
According to the Express, the Met Office updated its warning on the same day to note that slow-moving showers and thunderstorms could deliver 15 to 20 millimetres of rain within a single hour, with totals of 30 to 50 millimetres possible over six hours in the worst-affected spots, alongside a risk of lightning and hail. A separate report from the national weather service's forecasting team said the heaviest downpours were likely to move slowly, raising the chance of localised flooding and transport disruption, particularly in places that had gone days without significant rain.
Why has the weather turned after such a dry spell?
The storms follow almost two months of largely dry conditions across the UK, with some regions only recording their first meaningful rainfall in weeks on Tuesday. The shift forms part of a broader change in the weather pattern, with showery rain sweeping across Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England after a prolonged settled spell.
The current warnings echo earlier bouts of extreme weather this summer. In June, Scotland saw thunderstorms and flash flooding follow its hottest day of the year, while southern England experienced overnight storms and flooding as a heatwave pushed temperatures towards 40C. More recently, Northern Ireland was placed under a thunderstorm alert while forecasters weighed up a potential fourth heatwave of the season.
What happens next?
Forecasters expect the showers to ease from the northwest during Thursday morning, according to the Express, meaning the disruption should be shorter-lived in those areas even as the northern England warning remains active until 10:00 that day. Residents in the warned zones are being urged to prepare for the possibility of sudden, heavy bursts of rain rather than a sustained downpour.
Key Facts
- Northern Ireland warning: midday to 23:59 BST on Wednesday
- Eastern Scotland, including Aberdeen: 14:00 to 21:00 on Wednesday
- Northern England, including Manchester and Newcastle upon Tyne: 19:00 Wednesday to 10:00 Thursday
- Possible rainfall: 15-20mm in an hour, up to 30-50mm over six hours
- Follows almost two months of dry weather across parts of the UK
