Thunderstorms hit UK on Bank Holiday Monday

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Many people had their Bank Holiday Monday plans disrupted as thunderstorms swept across parts of England, Scotland, and Wales.

Anticipation of a sunny day off was dampened by warnings issued by the Met Office for thunderstorms, with forecasts predicting up to 40mm (1.5 inches) of rainfall in certain areas.

Following heavy rain in the Leeds area on Monday afternoon, the Environment Agency issued six flood warnings, while four others remained in place near Brighton as of 21:00 BST.

Additionally, nearly 60 less severe flood alerts were active for similar regions and other rivers in southern England and the Midlands by Monday evening.

A yellow warning was in effect until 21:00, covering central Scotland, Tayside, much of the borders, northern England, and part of Wales. Another warning covered a significant portion of the southeast of England, including London, Brighton, Portsmouth, and Canterbury, though it has since been lifted.

The Met Office cautioned that lightning strikes could cause delays in public transport, and there was a possibility of flooding to homes and businesses, along with damage to structures from floodwater, lightning, hail, or strong winds.

These warnings follow thunderstorms that swept across southern England and Wales last week, with many individuals awakened by dramatic lightning strikes in the early hours of Thursday.

Ben Rich from BBC Weather commented, “It’s been a mixed bag this bank holiday weekend. While some areas enjoyed sunshine and temperatures reaching the low 20s Celsius, others experienced torrential downpours. Parts of eastern Scotland saw half a month’s worth of rain in just a few hours on Sunday, leading to flash flooding, and further heavy showers are expected today.”

He also noted that temperatures are expected to rise after the weekend, reaching highs of 23 or 24°C in the south by Friday, with warmth spreading widely across the country, albeit with some cooler and wetter spells likely in parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland.