Thunderstorms batter England and Wales as weather warning sees events cancelled across the weekend

7 June 2025, 06:39 | Updated: 7 June 2025, 09:47

Thunderstorms are sweeping across parts of the UK this morning, with the Met Office issuing a yellow weather warning amid heavy patches of rain.

Forecasters said heavy showers and thunderstorms threaten to cause disruption to transport services and infrastructure in Kent, Sussex and Surrey between 9am and 6pm today.

The yellow alert affects London, South East England, South West England, parts of Wales and the East and West Midlands, East of England.

All areas face scattered heavy showers and thunderstorms from late morning. Around 30mm of rain could fall in just three hours in southern parts of the UK, with up to 50mm over the course of the day.

The Met Office has warned those in high-risk "flash flooding" areas to take precautions due to the extent of this rainfall.

Read more: Heavy showers on Saturday could match May’s total rainfall

Read more: Met Office issues yellow warning as huge thunderstorms set to batter England and Wales

Those in the south will face gusty winds, the Met Office has warned.

A chance of lightning, hail and strong winds threatens to cause additional hazards and delays for those who drive or take public transport.

Lightning strikes could cause damage to buildings and structure with short term loss of power "likely", the Met Office said.

The warning has prompted events in these areas to cancel across the weekend.

They included the Sussex Classic 2025, a surf ski race at Lancing Beach Green - which acts as an assessment event for Team GB.

Clive Gasson, the event's organiser, said cancelling it was a "huge disappointment" due to event's "record" number of entries this year.

From June 1 to June 3 there has already been 10.7mm of rain, a fifth of the 50.9mm recorded for the UK during May.

Meteorologist Honor Criswick said the wet weather was because of low pressure.

She said: “At the north of the country this brings in a north-westerly wind, so gradually drags in frontal systems out from the west and south-west, and that leads to some pretty changeable and wet weather at times.”

Met Office spokeswoman Andrea Bishop said the weather for the rest of the week would be “changeable”.

She said: “Generally the theme is the continuation of something a bit cooler, a bit breezy at times, and a bit wet at times too.

“We are keeping an eye on a new front which looks like it will move in on Friday night, bringing rain which could be heavy, and possibly thundery at times on Saturday.

“Rainfall totals of 20-30mm are likely in places and, at present, this looks like it will affect the southern half of the UK. We are keeping a close eye on this to see how it evolves over the next 24 hours or so.”