Met Office issues two yellow weather warnings for thunderstorms in London - what to expect

The people of London will be waking up to some stormy conditions this morning and it won’t be clearing away anytime soon. According to the Met Office, the region can expect heavy rain and thunderstorms until tomorrow evening.

The national weather service has put two yellow weather warnings in place - the in place for the rest of the day until 2am today and the second predicting a similar picture for Monday, with the alert in place from 4am to 2am the following day. A spokesperson for the Met Office said the wet and stormy conditions may lead to “flooding and disruption” in some areas but they have also provided guidance on what to do in a thunderstorm to keep yourself safe.

Met Office Meteorologist Rebecca Hudson said the risk is primarily confined to central and southern England, adding that there may be some "heavier showers" over Sunday night before clearing away on Monday, with some sunny spells possible.

"The heavier band moves through tomorrow morning and then weakens out into the afternoon but then there are some further heavy showers tomorrow night. And then as we go in overnight, things will gradually dry out into Monday morning," she said. "There will be some heavier showers overnight on Sunday into Monday, but these will gradually weaken and then Monday will be a lot drier with some sunny spells around as well.”

Met Office weather forecast for London

The outlook for London today is for rain which will be heavy and perhaps thundery at times but clearing by the afternoon. During the day it wil be rather cloudy and breezy morning with rain becoming heavy at times with a chance of isolated thunder. This will start clearing northeast by the afternoon, allowing some warm brighter or sunny spells to develop. However further heavy, potentially thundery, showers will follow. Temperatures are mild for this time of year though with highs of 19 °C.

It will be a cloudy evening with more showers which again have the potential to be heavy and possibly thundery too. Clear spells will develop after midnight, however isolated showers are expected to continue with winds strengthening although easing again by dawn. Mild temperatures will continue overnight with lows of 11°C.

Yellow weather warning for thunderstorms - what to expect

People are urged to avoid activities such as golf, rod fishing or boating on a lake but if you do find yourself caught outside you should avoid water and find a low-lying open place that is a safe distance from trees, poles or metal objects. This is because metal can conduct or attract lightning, turning innocuous items such as umbrellas, bicycles, pushchairs, and fencing into a hazard.

The Met Office says: “If you find yourself in an exposed location it may be advisable to squat close to the ground, with hands on knees and with head tucked between them. Try to touch as little of the ground with your body as possible, do not lie down on the ground. If you feel your hair stand on end, drop to the above position immediately.”

One final piece of advice offered by the meteorological experts is, while most people opt for a mobile nowadays, for those who do still use a landline, you should only use it in an emergency, until the storm has passed, as telephone lines can also conduct electricity.

The Met Office has put together a list of disruptions which could occur while the weather warnings are in place. Here’s what you should be looking out for:

• Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
• There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds
• Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services
• There is a small chance that some communities become cut off by flooded roads
• There is a slight chance that power cuts could occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost