UK weather: Forecasters warn of ‘sudden flooding’ as storms threaten weekend

Britons may also face lightning, hail and strong winds

Several flood alerts remain in place on Monday after rain, thunder and lightning swept across parts of the UK overnight (Yui Mok/PA) (PA Wire)

Forecasters have warned “sudden flooding” could hit the UK on Sunday as storms threaten a weekend washout.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning of storms, which will remain in place from 4am on Sunday until 5am on Monday morning across swathes of England and Wales.

In addition to a heightened chance of flooding as a result of heavy rain, Britons can expect potential lightning, hail and strong winds.

Forecasters have also raised the possibility of power cuts and some more isolated communities being cut off due to flooded roads.

Sunday’s yellow warning, issued to flag possible low-level impacts as a result of a range of weather situations, also outlines the likelihood of some train and bus service cancellations in affected areas.

The map for the warning spreads as far northeast as Scarborough and Whitby and covers the entirety of southeast England and as far west as Exeter.

The Met Office warning arrives as forecasters look out towards a mixed weather outlook in the days ahead.

BBC meteorologist Louise Lear said she expects the start of the weekend to be “promising with a little bump of high pressure”.

But a brighter Saturday will soon succumb to a pocket of low pressure expected to sweep through the UK on Sunday, bringing with it “heavy thundery downpours across the country”, she warned.

By Sunday afternoon, however, the forecaster hopes the rain clouds will largely dissipate, leaving behind a bright spell in its wake.

Ms Lear continued: “On Monday we’ve got some wet weather clearing Scotland, sunny spells and scattered showers behind [them]... [and] still the risk that some of those showers could be thundery, chiefly out to the west.

“The best of the dry weather once again remains for eastern England. Again we are going to see those temperatures into the high teens, above where they should be at this time of year.

“That’s going to be the trend as we go through the week ahead. It’s going to be relatively mild, but we’ve got more showers to come towards the end of the working week.”