Heavy and thundery showers are battering southern parts of England amid a yellow thunderstorm warning.
The alert is in place until 9pm on Thursday, covering areas including Bristol, Oxford, Southampton, London, Kent and Ipswich.
Forecasters said 25 to 35mm of rain could fall in as little as an hour in some parts of the warning zone, and areas may see up to 60mm in a few hours.
Thundery showers may bring some localised disruption for parts of southern England this afternoon ⛈️
— Met Office (@metoffice) July 31, 2025
Lighter showers and spells of rain will drift across northern regions pic.twitter.com/R7DkCHoB1f
Hail and lightning are possible and there is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, the Met Office said.
Rain halted the fifth cricket Test between England and India at The Oval in south London on Thursday afternoon.
A flood alert was issued by the Environment Agency (EA) because heavy rainfall is causing water levels to rise in the River Cole.
Low lying land and roads are expected to flood, particularly in the Lower Stratton Area, Swindon, the EA said.
The weather could delay buses and trains, cause difficult conditions on the roads, and there is a slight chance of power cuts, the Met Office said.
Thunderstorms started in the western part of the warning area and are moving eastwards as the day progresses.
A spokesman for the Met Office, Stephen Dixon, said: “It’s important to note that not everywhere within that warning area will see those kind of rainfall totals.
“It’s a thunderstorm warning and thunderstorms by their very nature are fairly hit and miss.
“So some areas will see significantly less in the way of rainfall, but where you do see those heavier bursts of rain there’s the potential for some impacts which has resulted in that warning.”
Temperatures could reach 27C in some places but it will not feel that warm, Mr Dixon added.
The risk of thunderstorms will subside later in the evening and die out overnight.
Elsewhere the UK will mainly be cloudy, with some showers in south-western and south-eastern parts of Scotland.
“It’s a bit of a messy meteorological set up over the UK,” Mr Dixon said.
Further weather warnings may be issued for Monday as there is a “fairly good degree of confidence” that the UK will be hit by “some very strong winds and some heavy rain”, he added.
“Really what we’re looking at in the medium-range forecast period is the potential for some unseasonably wet and windy weather on Monday.”
We could see unseasonably windy and wet weather on Monday 🍃 🌧️
— Met Office (@metoffice) July 30, 2025
Watch Alex explain more ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/Gq1soAfleA
Friday is expected to start with showers that weaken through the day.
They will be more frequent in central and eastern parts of England, the Met Office said.
Saturday will be a “fine day for many” with dry but not particularly warm conditions, Mr Dixon added.
Some rain is expected to move in from west to east during Sunday and will affect much of the UK.
RAC spokeswoman Alice Simpson said: “With a yellow weather warning in place for thunderstorms, drivers need to take extra care behind the wheel this afternoon.
“There could be home-time hold-ups from Bath to Kent if major routes are hit by heavy rain, as this can lead to flooding and obstructions from fallen trees and debris.”
She warned motorists to avoid driving through floodwater “which can cause serious vehicle damage and even loss of life” and highlighted the risk of aquaplaning, where a thin layer of water causes the wheels to lose contact with the road.
