Met Office issues first ever ‘danger to life’ weather warning for thunderstorms

The first ever thunderstorm weather warning has been issued

The Met Office has issued its first ever weather warning for thunderstorms, warning that torrential rain, hailstones and lightning pose a "danger to life." A yellow weather warning for south west England and south Wales has been issued until 10pm. The broader UK is experiencing a heatwave but forecasters have warned that rainfall could close businesses and roads and potentially isolate some communities. https://twitter.com/metoffice/status/1013349599745118208 On Saturday temperatures reached 29.5C and parts of London could see it get as hot as 30C on Sunday, with slightly increased humidity compared to recent days. The Met Office also warned that lightning strikes following the dry conditions risk starting wildfires, like that raging on Winter Hill outside Bolton. Thursday was the hottest day of year so, where temperatures of 33C were recorded in Porthmadog in northwest Wales. [caption id="attachment_187239" align="alignnone" width="860"] (Credit: wxcharts.eu)[/caption] Last week the Met Office changed their categorisation of thunder and lightning weather warnings, making this warning the first of its kind. Sky News' weather producer Joanna Robinson said: "Southwest Britain will be at risk of thunderstorms today as humidity increases in the South. "Any rain there will be welcome to gardeners and farmers, but torrential downpours could lead to some local flooding. "The storms will be hit and miss, with parts of the southwest staying dry."