Temperatures top 26C but Met Office confirms heavy thunderstorms are on the way

17 June 2023 , 20:13

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These skies in Istanbul may be repeated across the UK on Sunday (Image: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Lightning illuminates the Turkish city of Istanbul in a spectacular light show that is set to be repeated in our skies on Sunday.

The Met Office has issued a warning for heavy thunderstorms, with the worst-hit areas expected to see more than 30mm of rainfall in an hour.

Hail, lightning and strong winds have also been forecast, bringing the risk of flooding, power cuts and travel disruption as roads may have to be closed.

A yellow weather warning for thunderstorms will be in place for England and Wales from midday until midnight.

Weymouth was bustling with tourists in the sun today (Graham Hunt/BNPS)

But the wet weather won’t do much to cool things down, with temperatures set to remain well above average for this time of year.

Gales, snow and rain to batter country today with 80mph wind gusts

Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said: “The South East will be the warmest with temperatures around 26C or 27C, but other parts of the country will still be in the low 20s.

"It is going to be warm and humid with some quite uncomfortable nights still.”

Festival-goers enjoyed the sunny conditions at Isle Of Wight Festival 2023 today (Redferns)

Mr Petagna added that the unseasonably warm weather is set to continue right into next month.

Bookmaker Coral says the odds are on this June being the hottest on record in the UK. The firm has also suspended bets on a national hosepipe ban after South East Water imposed the first order of the summer on more than a million households.

A hosepipe ban has been introduced in Kent and Sussex due to “record levels” of demand for drinking water.

It comes a month earlier than the first ban of last year, which covered the Isle of Man in late July.

Nicola Small