Major warning issued for thunderstorms across large parts of UK

They're drifting over from the north of France

Met Office's Chief Meteorologist, Steve Ramsdale, revealed: "We are watching developments over northern France closely as thunderstorms develop in the warm, humid air over the continent.

"These thunderstorms are then expected to move into the southeast of England and East Anglia tonight (June 13) bringing very frequent lightning, hail, and intense downpours of rain with gusty winds."

Heavy rainfall across urban areas in particular may result in surface water flooding, with 30-50mm expected to lash down from the sky in a short stretch of time.

This will be compounded by strong winds, lightning and hail, potentially causing power disruptions.

An amber alert comes into play from 8pm and lasts until 5am tomorrow (June 14).

As for the humidity, Cambridge temperatures are forecasted to reach as high as 29°C; 27°C in Canterbury, and 25°C in Durham and Nottingham, meaning parts of the UK will surpass the heat of Los Angeles, Mykonos and Ibiza.

This comes after the Met Office predicted that this year's meteorological summer - June 1 to August 31 - is twice as likely than be hotter than 2024, which means UK residents may well bask in a summer of heatwaves.

The Met Office also mentioned that the expected warmth is mainly caused by human-induced climate change.

Meanwhile, if you're a dog owner, it was announced by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) this week that you should be keeping your precious pets indoors until 6pm today due to the scorching heat.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) shared: "Dogs should have regular exercise and involving them in your outings and family fun is expected, but if the weather is warm, it can be too much for our dogs.

"As dogs rely on their respiratory system to keep cool, unfit and overweight dogs and those with heart or respiratory disease are more likely to heat up faster and take longer to cool down."