The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms today.

The forecaster also says 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".

It comes as the UK sees wide variation in its weather, from a July heatwave to much cooler temperatures and torrential rain.

There is hope that prolonged warm weather will return in August.

Your Local Guardian: The Met Office has issued a weather warning today for thunderstormsThe Met Office has issued a weather warning today for thunderstorms

The warning is in effect from now until 11pm on Monday.

According to the Met Office: "heavy showers, torrential downpours and thunderstorms may cause travel disruption and some flooding".

Other potential impacts because of the storms include:

  • 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
  • Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
  • There is a slight chance that power cuts could occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost

Hail, thunder, lightning and heavy rainfall are all possible across the warning zones.

"Damage to a few buildings or structures from lightning strikes" is possible, the Met Office said.

Downpours could bring around 20mm of rain within an hour, and perhaps 30-40mm in a few hours for a few locations, leading to possible surface water flooding in places, the warning said.

Lightning and hail are most likely to occur across southeastern counties of England.

By the evening, the showers and thunderstorms will have eased.

The latest warnings come on the back of Storm Evert, which lashed the British Isles this week.

London & South East England weather forecast

Monday 2 Aug - Friday 6 Aug

Headline:

Hazy sunshine and showers developing, especially later. Coasts mainly sunny.

Today:

Monday will start mainly dry with sunny spells and light winds. Increasing chance of sharp slow-moving showers by the afternoon and evening, perhaps turning thundery. Best of the increasingly hazy sunshine probably near coasts. Maximum temperature 22C.

Tonight:

Starting mostly cloudy with slow-moving evening showers persisting in some areas, although much of the region will become dry after midnight with clear spells. Chilly by dawn. Minimum temperature 10C.

Tuesday:

Bright, chilly start in most places before cloud increases by midday with a few heavy and slow-moving showers developing, perhaps thundery. Mostly sunny near coasts. Light winds. Maximum temperature 23C.

Outlook for Wednesday to Friday:

An unsettled spell of weather with some clear or sunny spells and heavy showers developing each day, with torrential downpours likely to affect some areas, perhaps more especially during Thursday.

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