UK Weather Alert: Rare Amber Storm Warning for Floods & 50mph Winds After 30C Heat

The Met Office has issued a rare amber thunderstorm warning for parts of the UK, with floods, lightning strikes, and power cuts expected to batter the country this weekend—just hours after temperatures soared to 30°C on Friday.

Key Threats This Weekend

• Southeast England & East Anglia:
• 50mph winds, large hail, and 50mm of rain (8pm Fri – 5am Sat)
• “Danger to life” from fast-flowing floodwater
• Possible property damage, road closures, and transport delays
• Yellow warnings for London, Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire (until 6am Sat)
• Wales & Southwest England: Thunderstorms until midnight

Emergency Advice

The Met Office urges Brits to:

• Avoid travel where possible
• Stay indoors during storms
• Prepare flood kits

Heat-to-Storm Whiplash

Friday’s 30°C heat (hotter than Ibiza and Los Angeles) will give way to:

• Frequent lightning
• Torrential downpours (2 inches of rain in hours)
• Gusts up to 50mph
• UKHSA’s first yellow heat-health alert (vulnerable groups at risk)

Drought Declared in Yorkshire

Despite the storms, Yorkshire is officially in drought after record-low spring rainfall, raising fears of:

• Hosepipe bans
• Wildlife threats
• Agricultural strain

Expert Warning

“These storms could bring surface water flooding, power cuts, and disruption. Not all will see storms—but where they hit, impacts will be severe.”
Steve Ramsdale, Met Office Chief Meteorologist