JUBILEE parties in south-west England could be a washout today as flash floods with lighting and hail warnings in place and there could also be power cuts.
The weather could put a dampener on Brits hoping to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee today as the Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms with flooding expected.
The initial warning covered a large part of southern England, stretching from Cornwall right across to Kent with parts of London also impacted.
In an update from the Met Office issued at 10am today reduced the warning to cover parts of Devon and Cornwall but still cautioned about the possibility of thunderstorms, heavy showers and the chance of “localised flooding”.
There are concerns that thunderstorms could torpedo the star-studded Platinum Jubilee concert later today.
Many parts within the warning area are unlikely to see a thunderstorm, the Met Office said but it was not possible to accurately predict where they would hit.
More than 200,000 locals events, including street parties, lunches and outdoor events, have been planned throughout the four-day bank holiday weekend.
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A Met Office spokesperson urged people to check their local forecast for specific details about their area.
It suggested people have back-up plans for any proposed parties in case events have to be called off due to the weather.
“Many places within the warning area are unlikely to see a thunderstorm at all, but those places that do see one could well see impacts from heavy rain and frequent lightning strikes,” said Andy Page, the Met Office chief meteorologist.
“A few places could see up to 20 – 30mm of rain within an hour, with a small chance of 50mm in two to three hours, most likely near the south coast. The risk of thunderstorms eases as we go through Saturday morning.
“However, as this band of warm air continues to push further north across the UK there is a risk of more thunderstorms and heavy downpours on Sunday.
“We will be monitoring this risk and may need to issue another warning when the potential for impacts becomes clearer. Please keep an eye on the forecast for your area regularly for any updates.”
Anyone heading out on the roads has been warned to be on the lookout for spray and flooding which could make driving hazardous.
The conditions could also see road closures as well as cancellations on public transport.
“The fact the bank holiday coincide with the end of half-term in many places has the potential to put some extra pressure on the road network, so planning a journey carefully is important to beat the worst of any queues,” Rod Dennis, the RAC traffic spokesman said.
The warning about thunderstorms comes after Brits basked in glorious sunshine and soaring temperatures as the four-day bank holiday got underway.
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Elsewhere, many parts of the country that escape the thunderstorms are expected to be warm and sunny with the north-west of Scotland expected to see the hottest temperatures.
There will be more in the way of cloud cover on Sunday with scattered showers spreading northwards across England and Wales and may be heavy.
