The Met Office has issued thunderstorm warnings for 42 areas across the UK as Britain faces extreme heat and the possibility of severe weather later today.
A yellow weather warning is in place from 3pm until Tuesday night, covering parts of England including the East Midlands, London, South East England, South West England, Yorkshire, the West Midlands and East Anglia.
Forecasters warned that while many regions will remain hot and sunny, isolated thunderstorms could bring dangerous conditions including lightning, large hail, flash flooding and strong winds.
The Met Office said: “Whilst many areas will miss them and remain hot and sunny, isolated thunderstorms are possible this afternoon and into the evening.”
“These could bring frequent lightning, large hail, gusty winds and the potential for 30mm of rain in less than an hour.”
The warning comes as Britain continues to experience record-breaking temperatures.
Temperatures overnight in South London did not fall below 21.3C at Kenley Airfield, setting a new record for the warmest May night in the UK for the second day in a row.
Meanwhile, Kew Gardens recorded a provisional spring temperature record of 34.8C on Monday.
Forecasters said temperatures could climb even higher on Tuesday, with highs of 35C expected across large parts of southern England and Wales, while some areas could potentially reach 36C.
The hottest conditions are expected across the Midlands, South East England, South West England, East Anglia and South Wales.
However, meteorologists warned thunderstorms developing later in the day could affect temperatures and create travel disruption.
The Met Office warned the storms could cause flooding, power cuts and delays to transport services.
“Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services,” the agency said.
“There is a slight chance that power cuts could occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost.”
Drivers were also warned about difficult road conditions caused by sudden flooding, spray and strong winds.
Becky Mitchell said many parts of England and Wales are now officially experiencing heatwave conditions.
Several locations had already met heatwave thresholds by Sunday night, including Heathrow, Kew Gardens and Northolt in London, alongside areas in Oxfordshire, Suffolk and Essex.
Areas included in the thunderstorm warning stretch across Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Staffordshire, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.