Britain has been hit by more torrential downpours this afternoon as huge thunderstorms continue to wreak havoc across the country, with forecasters warning of flash floods across much of the UK.
The Met Officer have issued warnings for Wednesday and Thursday as a new wave of thunderstorms began to sweep across southern England, threatening more chaotic weather after houses collapsed and caught fire amid lightning strikes last night.
On Wednesday afternoon, new pockets of heavy rain accompanied by rumbles of thunder began to move across the south of England and the Midlands.
The scenes come as the country prepares itself for an upcoming heatwave set to arrive by next week, with forecasters predicting temperatures of 28C in London next Wednesday and Thursday and highs of 30C in the southeast.
Earlier today the yellow warning issued by the Met Office warned of thunderstorms across most of England, Wales and southern Scotland between noon and midnight on Wednesday.
It warned that ‘flooding of homes and businesses could happen quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds’.
Another warning said there was a small chance of flooding on Thursday from storms between noon and 9pm in an area across southern England and South Wales.
It also highlighted another area of heavy rainfall across the Midlands with a possibility of ‘some localised disruption’.
The tempest could cause havoc for homeowners and businesses and comes just days before a heatwave is set to sweep in, with temperatures set to hit 82F (28C) by next Wednesday.
A woman jumps over a puddle after a downpour of rain on Oxford Street in London this afternoon, with heavy downpours across the UK
Britons were caught in torrential downpours this afternoon as huge thunderstorms continued to ravage the nation, with forecasters warning of flash floods across most of the UK (Pictured: Westminster, London)
Pedestrians, cyclists and motorists are caught in torrential downpours in Trafalgar Square, central London this afternoon
These joggers in Westminster were caught in the heavy rain and quickly drenched as heavy showers hit London this afternoon
A pedestrian (left and right) walks through central London with an umbrella as Britain was hit by more torrential downpours this afternoon
A woman wearing a face mask and carrying an umbrella walks down Oxford Street as heavy rains sweeps across the nation
A bus makes its way through the capital as more torrential downpours this afternoon and huge thunderstorms continue to wreak havoc across the country
As the torrential downpour sweeps across the nation, two people, quickly run along a street in Leicester with a push chair
Two women try to pull their push chair out of the flooded street in Leicester as torrential rain continues to pour down across the UK
One person pulls their bike along the flooded streets in Leicester as the torrential rain continues to pour down across the country
As torrential rain and thunderstorm sweep over the country, one man, wearing a rain jacket and shorts, was pictured walking across a flooded street in Leicester
Two pedestrians wearing face masks jump over a puddle on Oxford Street as lockdown restrictions relax in the country
One person, wearing a covering over their face, cycles through a puddle on Oxford Street, London, as heavy rains hits the country
Drivers try to get the cars along the flooded streets in Leicesters as the heavy rain and thunderstorms arrive to the UK today
Londoners caught in the heavy rain this afternoon. On Wednesday, new pockets of heavy rain accompanied by rumbles of thunder began to move across the south of England and the Midlands
The London Eye (left) as violent thunderstorms swept across the country today, with a police officer jumping over a puddle in Oxford Street (right)
Warnings have been issued as a new wave of thunderstorms began to sweep across southern England, threatening more lightning strikes and flooding
Heavy rainfall struck London (pictured) today as violent storms continued to rage, with the Met Office warning areas from Glasgow to Penzance could become flooded due to thunderstorms expected until midnight
A pedestrian runs through the rain in central London after downpours and thunderstorms hit the capital today
A man shelters from heavy rain under and umbrella as another hides in a phone box in London as violent thunderstorms swept across the north of England and Scotland, causing flash flooding in places
A person walks through heavy rain in London as violent thunderstorms swept across Britain this afternoon, causing floods
Pedestrians are caught in heavy torrential downpours in central London this afternoon, forcing them to run for cover
Shoppers shield from downpours in Knightbridge after heavy rain and thunderstorms hit the south of England this afternoon
Two shoppers wear face masks as they shield from torrential downpours under umbrellas in Westminster (right) and Knightsbridge (left)
Thunderstorms surged across most of Britain yesterday and will continue to do so today (left), with the South set to be ravaged. They are expected to fade by tomorrow (right), though parts of the country are still at risk of thunderstorms
People wait at a bus stop in Westminster, London after getting caught in a torrential downpour in the capital this afternoon
Shoppers react as they are caught in a downpour of rain on Oxford Street in London. People have begun flocking back to the popular shopping street after the easing of lockdown restrictions
A woman tries to get her hood up as the rain starts to fall. Cambridge was a day of two half’s today with sunny and warm weather till the early part of the afternoon before the downpour arrived
This group were having a picnic when the weather turned and the sunshine was quickly replaced by torrential rain that is sweeping across England
It comes after a three-storey house collapsed and others went up in flames after intense thunderstorms battered Britain on Tuesday. The Victorian building, which was unoccupied at the time, partially collapsed in the middle of the street in Chorlton, south Manchester, with firefighters seen checking houses on either side.
Meanwhile, an entire street in Milnrow, Rochdale, was flooded after the River Beal burst its banks, and local councillor Andy Kelly said it was the ‘worst flood he had seen in 20 years’.
Forecasters said up to 50mm of rain fell in two to three hours over yesterday evening, while the same storm continued to rage in the South today.
Storms will gradually subside by Thursday but the south coast will be hit by slow-moving heavy showers which may lead to further flooding.
Met Office Chief Meteorologist Neil Armstrong said: ‘Although some places will miss these heavy showers and thunderstorms, where they do occur they’ll be quite lively bringing torrential downpours with 25 to 35mm rain falling in an hour and a few places seeing perhaps 40 to 50mm rain in a couple of hours.
The truth is up there: Clouds looking look giant UFOs spotted in Yorkshire
Bizarre UFO-shaped clouds spotted above Yorkshire
Mysterious clouds looking like UFOs have been spotted in Yorkshire.
Joe Lord, 31, happened to be washing up the dishes at the perfect time as he gazed out of his window to spot the crazy cloud formation.
The astrology fanatic says he spends many hours looking at the sky and couldn’t believe these massive UFO-like clouds appeared in the sky above him.
The enormous stationary cloud stacks look like an alien saucer out of a Sci-Fi film.
Lenticular clouds generally appear in mountainous areas due to the air pressure but Joe caught the spectacular sight in his home in Settle, North Yorks., on June 6.
Joe, a teacher, said: ‘I was looking out of my kitchen window as I normally like to look at the sky – and saw these magnificent clouds.
‘I whipped my phone out and started taking pictures because they’re so breathtaking and quite rare outside of mountains where they are usually seen.
‘I knew what they were – lenticular clouds – but I’d never seen one in person so I was chuffed to bits.
‘It was awesome and just pure luck that I happened to be washing up right that moment.’
‘With this heavy rain falling in a short time we could see some disruption to transport or damage to properties due to localised flooding, as well as the chance of lightning and hail.’
Discussing the collapsed house in Manchester, one resident said: ‘Initially I heard a loud noise that we thought was lightning.
‘We looked out of the window and there was what looked like smoke filling the street, made more apparent when it drifted past a street lamp. Then there was a flash, and the next thing the whole chimney stack started to move towards the house next door, almost in slow motion at first.
‘And then the majority of the house just seemed to disappear, and the noise was awful.
‘Dust clouded the street and the air was thick with it. We ran outside to check if it was an empty house, which it appears to be. Fire service were on scene within about 10 minutes and have cordoned off the street.’
Meanwhile, more than 20 firefighters were called to a house in the Millhouses area of Sheffield on Tuesday evening after it was struck by lightning, though nobody was hurt.
The strike happened as a storm moved across the city, bringing a dramatic lightning display and bursts of heavy rain.
Similar storms brought flash flooding to the North West of England, leaving roads and shops submerged.
In Merseyside, a house in the Wirral was set ablaze after being struck by lightning during yesterday’s chaotic storms.
It is believed that a fork of lightning hit the house causing the fire but it is not yet clear whether anyone was inside at the time of the incident.
Extensive damage was caused to the roof of the property and an attached garage.
Thunderstorms hit parts of Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, causing police to urge drivers to drop their speed following reports of traffic collisions.
Pictures of lightning across the region were shared on social media, along with videos of heavy rainfall.
Some roads were also closed as drivers reported spray and sudden flooding, which led to difficult driving conditions.
North West Motorway Police tweeted: ‘Numerous reports being received across the region of flash flooding, resulting in collisions.
‘Please if out and about, drive to the road conditions, drop your speeds.’
Cheshire Police tweeted: ‘Be careful if you’re out and about this evening, thunderstorms are likely to affect road conditions across Cheshire.
‘You can keep yourself and others safe by slowing down, keeping a greater distance between yourself & the vehicle in front, using headlights as visibility drops.’
Parts of Scotland were also affected by the wet weather, which first struck overnight on Monday.
A shopper shelters from the rain as they are caught in a downpour of rain on Oxford Street in London this afternoon
Forecasters said up to 50mm of rain fell in two to three hours over yesterday evening, while the same storm continued to rage in the South today
A child runs for cover after being caught in the heavy downpour in Knightsbridge, west London this afternoon, with heavy rain expected across the country
A woman clutches her umbrella in Westminster, London this afternoon as she walks through a torrential downpour
A cyclist caught in heavy torrential downpours in Trafalgar Square, central London as thunder storms and heavy rain hit the country
A woman jumps over a puddle after a downpour of rain on Oxford Street in London this afternoon, with heavy rain triggering warnings of flooding
A heavy downpour across Knightsbridge with shoppers, some still dressed for the sun, rushing for cover from the rain
Heads were bowed as people rushed to get away from the torrential downpour in the capital this afternoon
Twisting tornadoes were caught on camera as thunderstorms hit the Welsh countryside. It’s unclear when the photos were taken but it is believed to have been Monday or Tuesday
Della Morgan, 37, was stunned to see the swirling dark twister cloud from her home near Brecon, Powys in the Welsh countryside
A pedestrian wearing a face mask shelters under an umbrella they are caught in a downpour of rain on Oxford Street
A woman wearing a face mask rushes for cover after being caught in the heavy downpour in Knightsbridge, London today
A cyclist is caught in the torrential downpour near Westminster this afternoon, with rain hitting the capital and spreading over the country
Cars are caught in the London rain as the country is battered by a second day of torrential downpour and violent thundery showers
This man appeared to be caught short in the rain and, head bowed, can be seen rushing towards shelter near Westminster this afternoon
A scooter rider driving through heavy torrential downpours in central London this afternoon. The South will be particularly badly hit by the bad weather today
Manchester was hit by downpours which lasted until 6am today, with between 40mm and 50mm of rain expected to fall in just two hours in some areas, according to the MEN.
Flash flooding also caused widespread disruption on major roads – with lanes closed on the M60, M62, and the M602.
Bizarre footage showed a car park in Crownpoint shopping Centre in North Denton, Greater Manchester, so flooded a child was able to swim in the knee-high water.
Elsewhere, a Costco in the city was evacuated after water poured in through the ceiling and showered down onto the aisles.
In Yorkshire, incredible pictures captured a tornado-like funnel cloud as it made its way through the region. It was first spotted Monday afternoon.
A house on Stockton Street in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, south Manchester that collapsed overnight due to the severe rain and thunderstorms that hit the North West
No one was injured after the building collapsed following the violent storms, however the damage amount is yet to be calculated
A composite photo captured over the course of two hours by Mark Humpage as an intense electrical storm passed over the East Midlands last night
The lightning map over the East Midlands when Mark Humpage captured an intense electrical storm in an amazing composite photo
Thunder and lightning spotted over Leicestershire last night as the stormy weather swept across the UK yesterday evening
Lightning strikes above Liverpool on Tuesday evening as violent thunderstorms swept across the north of England and Scotland, causing flash flooding in places
An incredible lightning strike lit up the skies of Staffordshire last night as the UK was hit by violent storms. Stunning pictures clearly show a bolt of lightning over Winshill and Burton upon Trent at around 9.30pm on Tuesday night
Lightning cracks in Manchester last night, with the city struck by violent thunderstorms throughout Tuesday evening
Looking ahead to the weekend, Deputy Chief Meteorologist Martin Young said: ‘As winds swing to the southwest over the weekend it’ll turn fresher and breezier and east coastal areas should lose the low cloud and mist, feeling warmer here as a result.
‘On Saturday we’ll see a spell of rain moving across the UK from the west, but most can expect a drier day on Sunday.’
He added: ‘There are signs of a spell of warm and settled weather across southern parts of the UK next, with temperatures quite widely reaching mid-20s Celsius. It’ll be unsettled across north-western areas with temperatures closer to average.’
A small tornado swirled across the Yorkshire Dales Monday after forming in the Lake District. The funnel cloud was seen passing over Ingleborough Common and photographed by stunned locals.
The phenomenon forms when condensed water droplets from a cloud are mixed with a rotating column of wind. They are often produced when supercell thunderstorms are in the air and can be followed by tornadoes.