Warnings issued for electrical storms bringing heatwave to thunderous close later today

Finally…

This current heatwave has been completely unbelievable – more unbelievable than England getting to the semi-finals of the World Cup. But just like that night against Croatia, all things but end. The Met Office is reporting that the heat will trigger thunderstorms in some parts of the country. Steve Ramsdale, Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office, said:

“Friday afternoon and evening [is] when we expect to see intense thunderstorms affecting many central and eastern areas.”

The Met Office have also issued a Yellow warning for South East England, stating that “flooding of homes and businesses could happen quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds.” https://twitter.com/metoffice/status/1022781119845085184 They also warn that flooding could affect local transport, and also cause road closures and possible power cuts. [caption id="attachment_192115" align="alignnone" width="1024"] (Credit: wxcharts.eu)[/caption] Don’t expect the heat to instantly disappear. Temperatures as high as 37C are expected on Friday. For those trying not to melt completely, Ramsdale has this advice:

“If you’re looking for somewhere to escape the heat, western and northern areas will have pleasantly warm mid 20s Celsius, although across Northern Ireland and western Scotland this may be accompanied by occasionally cloudy skies.”

The highest July temperature ever recorded in the UK was 36.7C at Heathrow on July 1^st, 2015.