Met Office issues weather warning for thunderstorms and torrential rain

A WEATHER warning for thunderstorms has been issued for a swathe of southern England today (Wednesday), including the New Forest and Christchurch.

The yellow alert – the lowest level – was made by the Met Office for between 1pm and 11pm and cautioned of possible travel disruption and flooding.

It said: “Whilst some places will escape them, thunderstorms will break out this afternoon and evening giving torrential downpours in a few places.

“Some of these storms will also be slow-moving, meaning that downpours may well be quite prolonged.

“Twenty millimetres of rain may fall in an hour and, in some places, 30-40mm rain may fall in two or three hours. Thunderstorms will then slowly ease through the evening.”

Affected areas could suffer floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds, it said, with spray causing difficult driving conditions and potential road closures.

Power cuts might occur, it added, and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost.

Hampshire and Dorset were covered by the yellow warning, which extended east along the south coast and included London and the south-east region.