The Met Office has issued fresh yellow weather warnings for thunderstorms across large parts of England, with millions of people advised to prepare for disruptive conditions this evening.
Forecasters warned that developing thunderstorms could bring frequent lightning, hail, strong winds and intense downpours to some areas, although many places are expected to escape the worst of the weather.
The warnings cover parts of London, the South East, the East of England, the Midlands, Yorkshire and the North East.
The Met Office said the storms could lead to temporary power outages, disruption to services and damage to buildings caused by lightning strikes. Large hailstones and gusty winds may also affect vulnerable structures.
A Met Office spokesperson said: “Today’s heat and humidity has resulted in the development of some thunderstorms, which will move rapidly northeastwards across central and eastern parts of England this evening.”
The spokesperson added: “Most places will not be impacted, but where they occur brief periods of frequent lightning, strong gusty winds, large hail and heavy rain are possible. Thunderstorms are expected to clear the area later this evening, over the North Sea.”
Areas under the warning include Greater London, Kent, Surrey, Essex, Hertfordshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Yorkshire, Hull, County Durham and parts of Teesside.
The latest alert follows several days of hot and humid weather across the UK, with temperatures exceeding 30C in some regions and creating ideal conditions for severe thunderstorms to develop.
Residents in affected areas are being advised to monitor weather updates and take precautions as conditions could change rapidly during the evening.