UK hit with thunderstorms following record-breaking seven-day heatwave

A yellow thunderstorm warning is in place covering southern Scotland from midnight until 6am on Monday morning.

Stormy skies overhead as people enjoy punt tours along the River Cam in Cambridge (PA) (PA Wire)

The UK has been hit with thunderstorms following seven consecutive days of temperatures above 30C.

A yellow thunderstorm warning is in place covering southern Scotland until 6am on Monday morning.

This follows thunderstorms across Northern Ireland, northern parts of England and Wales as well as southern and north-eastern Scotland.

The warning means some people could be in store for flash flooding, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds – with possible interruptions to road access and public transport if such circumstances were to occur.

Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said: “We have a third thunderstorm warning overnight for southern Scotland.

“That expires at 6am. And then once that’s cleared, there will be a few thunderstorms tomorrow.

“But for the vast majority they will be a bit more scattered in nature than (on Sunday).”

Last week’s heatwave broke the record for the most consecutive days with temperatures above 30C in September, with Saharan dust generating vivid sunsets and sunrises in the clear conditions.

Mr Morgan said that the heatwave was “unprecedented”.

“We have never seen anything as long lived in terms of a heatwave in September before,” he said.