Weather Warning For Thunderstorms In The Uk: Flash Flood Risk As Dry Conditions Increase, What You Need To Know

Thursday, July 17, 2025

Britain is braced for violent thunderstorms over nan weekend that frighten flash floods for immoderate parts of nan state arsenic nan barren conditions pursuing summer heatwaves increases nan consequence of downpours. The Met Office has issued yellowish warnings for thunderstorms for nan southbound of England, nan Midlands and nan northbound of Scotland – pinch up to 90mm of rainfall imaginable for immoderate areas. Accumulations are apt to beryllium dense and moreover overwhelm section drainage systems and origin flooding.

The dense rainfall expect successful nan early hours of Friday to Saturday could spot up to 20-30mm of rainfall autumn successful conscionable 1 hour, nan mean magnitude typically expected during nan full period crossed nan UK. Rapid runoff Rainfall rates will beryllium accelerated capable that moreover though there’s still nan imaginable to spot soaking downpours complete nan adjacent week aliases so, nan barren crushed from caller heatwaves will mean nan h2o will tally disconnected it alternatively than being absorbed into nan ungraded – expanding nan consequence for flash flooding. The south will get nan worst of it astatine first, but by Saturday nan full of nan northbound of England and Scotland will person been affected and nan northbound will beryllium slow to lukewarm up into Sunday.

What Drought Does to Thunderstorms

The downpour of nan rainfall represents a stark opposition to nan drought successful galore areas of nan UK complete nan past mates of weeks. After respective heatwaves nan ungraded has dried retired and won’t beryllium capable to sorb nan dense deluge expected to autumn pinch nan thunderstorms. In fact, this barren crushed serves to summation nan consequence of flash floods successful higher-elevation areas wherever nan h2o simply runs off, alternatively than soaking into, nan overly barren ground.

The Environment Agency has been monitoring nan business and nan Environment Agency’s Director for Water, Helen Wakeham, said 2025 had already seen nan driest opening of a twelvemonth since 1976. The further rainwater from nan thunderstorms will mostly drain disconnected into rivers and retired to oversea and not thief replenish each that overmuch of nan groundwater aliases capable reservoirs. Which is to opportunity that nan handbag bans connected hosepipes successful immoderate bits of nan UK astatine coming will persist passim nan remainder of summertime and connected into nan autumn, unless location are prolonged bedewed spells – specified arsenic we typically person successful nan autumn and winter.

Tip for Travelers:Heading to London, Brighton aliases nan picturesque Cotswolds this weekend?Prepare for flash deluges and nan anticipation of flooding. Check nan forecast and measurement postponing outdoor work.

The Current State of Thunderstorm Progress and Its Business and Travel Implications

The thunderstorms are apt to bring upwind and immoderate turbulence for commerce and tourism travel. Festival and event-goers will person to reckon pinch nan anticipation of terrible upwind arsenic a a travel-slowing strategy moves done this weekend. Tornado-producing thunderstorms are responsible for a number of airdrome delays, peculiarly arrivals and departures successful affected areas. Visitors should cheque for cancellations aliases delays owed to conditions.

Beyond airports delays, nan abrupt quality of nan deluge could create risky recreation conditions, successful portion because of nan imaginable for particularly utmost rainfall successful much agrarian aliases mountainous places, wherever waters could unreserved quickly crossed roadways. Drivers will request to return attraction connected nan roads – particularly connected smaller roads successful nan Midlands, South East and Scotland – wherever nan rainfall will beryllium astatine its astir heavy.

Tip of nan Week: If you are a business traveler who is gearing up to your be events successful areas affected by thunderstorms, cheque retired section proscription websites for immoderate imaginable work delays. Get to your venues arsenic early arsenic imaginable because, pinch nan dense rain, roads whitethorn beryllium closed aliases nether water.

Where Will nan Thunderstorms Be Most Severe?

The thunderstorms will expanse done nan Midlands and nan South, including London, Oxford and Bristol earlier moving northbound complete Northern England and Scotland by Saturday. Then, UP northbound successful Scotland, we could person a time of slow-moving storms instantly connected Sunday wherever respective hours of rain, could successful theory, autumn successful 1 place, which does summation nan chances of localised flash flooding.

Thunderstorms are fickle things, and not each parts of nan state will get nan aforesaid grade of rainfall formation, moreover though dense rainfall will autumn successful immoderate areas, and not acold away, location will beryllium appreciably less. Travellers should enactment vigilant pinch nan waters of rivers aliases debased lying lands though successful agrarian and intermediate areas, it whitethorn quickly rise.

Tourist Tip: If you’re readying to circuit nan cities and countryside in-between storms, bring waterproof jackets and shoes. Pay attraction to h2o level if you unrecorded adjacent a stream aliases nan coast.

How Will The Thunderstorm Impact The Hosepipe Ban In The UK?

You mightiness not deliberation it would impact h2o levels overmuch aft we get rain, but that rainfall would get washed disconnected truthful accelerated successful areas wherever there’s not overmuch of immoderate of it. Since nan onshore can’t sorb accelerated enough, that will lend to impermanent flooding, and it could beryllium much than stormwater systems tin grip earlier nan very salty h2o flushes backmost retired to nan sea. That efficaciously intends hosepipe bans already being applied successful nan state will apt proceed for nan remainder of nan summer, perchance extending into nan cooler months of autumn.

Tip for tourists- moreover if it rains nan h2o restrictions are still successful unit truthful astir tourer accommodation will still beryllium constricted successful h2o to nan aforesaid restrictions arsenic successful nan past. Observer immoderate section bans and thief prevention water, if possible.

What Can Travelers Do?

Travelers should:

BRITAIN is facing “extreme “wind this play starring to disruption for drivers and obstruction passengers. Always beryllium judge to cheque for upwind warnings and section advisories!

Expect disruptions to travel, specified arsenic delays astatine airports, and different nationalist proscription arsenic good arsenic services successful section areas.

Take aforesaid very sensible precautions if you’re driving around, particularly successful low lying and agrarian areas, and make judge you are pursuing roadworthy signs and genuine flood warnings.

If possible, patronize section businesses that nan upwind mightiness propulsion a wrench into, particularly those moving successful nan realm of outdoor arena spaces.

Nearest Places to Stay and Hotels: Where to Hunker Down During nan Storms

For travelers already successful nan storm zone, sticking to hotels successful the mediate of cities, aliases ones pinch stormy-weather preparations and services successful resorts will person you barren and see in-room amenities to thief support your animal comforts connected erstwhile struck by thunderstorms. You’ll besides observe loads of superb pads successful London, Oxford and Brighton too, galore benefitting from awesome connections and added snazzy extras for illustration free cancellation, and support should bad upwind group in.

For much secluded, agrarian spots, for illustration Cornwall aliases nan Cotswolds, travellers should besides cheque section upwind and guarantee their accommodation is equipped to negociate imaginable floods aliases large wind damage.

Bottom Line

The thunderstorm warnings for this week service arsenic a reminder of really challenging recreation tin beryllium successful nan UK, which is strewn pinch flash flooding and unpredictable rain. If you are present for a meeting, aliases moreover a festival, words to nan wise: prep, prep and much prep. While these thunderstorms whitethorn extremity up causing short-term disruptions, they besides connection a glimpse into a different broadside of nan UK — and its melodramatic weather.