Warning of thunderstorms that could strike anywhere

THE Met Office has extended its warning of thunderstorms in Wales for the next six days.

Warnings were increased on Wednesday and will now run until Monday, August 17.

Temperatures are expected to cool down by tomorrow, but there is still a warning of continuing thunderstorms that could hit anywhere.

Soaring temperatures of more than 30°C have been recorded in parts of Wales every day this week.

Under its yellow warning, the Met Office is predicting storms across Wales and said “the risk of severe thunderstorms will continue in places throughout the next six days”.

Chief meteorologist Steve Ramsdale said in these areas “exceptional rainfall totals could be seen of 60 millimetres in an hour with a very small chance of 150 millimetres of rainfall in three or four hours”.

It comes after a week of extreme weather.

On Monday, flash flooding affected parts of Wales with roads underwater, homes hit by lightning and hailstones the size of golf balls set off car alarms in Capel Curig, Snowdonia.

There were 50,000 lightning strikes recorded across the UK on Monday.

Storms that were taking place 100 miles could be seen from Wales overnight on Tuesday.

The weather phenomenon that could be seen on Tuesday night is known as heat lightning, and came after a day when temperatures hit a high of 31°C in Monmouthshire.

The term heat lightning is commonly used to describe lightning from a distant thunderstorm which is too far away to hear the accompanying thunder.