Thunderstorms and heavy downpours of rain predicted to hit Lancashire as Met Office issues yellow weather warning

Scattered thunderstorms and heavy rain has been predicted to develop across Lancashire on Monday (August 15), bringing a dramatic end to the heatwave.

A yellow weather warning was subsequently issued by the Met Office and will be in place from 6am until 11.59pm.

Forecasters warned up to 30mm could fall in places in just one hour, leading to a “small chance homes and businesses could be flooded quickly.”

Spray, sudden flooding and lighting strikes could also lead to difficult driving conditions as well as resulting in some train and bus services being cancelled.

“Whilst some places will avoid them, thunderstorms are likely to develop increasingly widely as we go through Monday,” a spokesman for the Met Office said.

“Storms will probably already be underway for Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland by early Monday, before also developing across parts of England and Wales by late morning and into the afternoon.

“Very locally 20-30mm of rain is possible in an hour, and up to around 50mm in three to six hours. Hail and frequent lightning are also possible.”

The warning came after Britons sweltered in the country’s driest summer in decades, with temperatures expected to hit 37C (99F) in places on Friday (August 12).

It followed last month’s heatwave where temperatures went above 40C for the first time ever in the UK, with the mercury reaching 40.2C at Heathrow on July 19.

The previous record of 38.7C was recorded in 2019 in Cambridge.

Here’s what the Met Office said to expect:

- A small chance homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds.

- A chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services where flooding or lightning strikes occur.

- Difficult driving conditions and road closures due to spray and sudden flooding.

- A slight chance power cuts could occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost.