After the mini heatwave, it’s tropical storms

ElEctric storms across much of Britain are set to bring the late summer mini-heatwave to an end today.

intense downpours in the worst-hit areas could see up to three weeks of rain fall in just two hours.

Forecasters warn the tropical-style storms could cause localised flooding, especially in urban areas less able to soak up extreme torrential rain. A combination of thunder, lightning, hail and heavy rain could hit almost anywhere in the country and began yesterday with storms causing flash flooding in Devon.

Elsewhere saw another glorious day with temperatures soaring. records were broken in Scotland. charterhall in the Borders reached 28.8c (84F), making it the warmest September day in the country since 1906 when Gordon castle in Moray reached 32.2c (90F).

the highest temperature in the UK yesterday was 30.3c (87F) at Heathrow.

the Met Office issued a weather warning for thunderstorms covering the entire UK apart from the South East and lasting until 8pm tonight. ‘Following overnight rain and showers, more intense showers and thunderstorms are expected to break out fairly widely from late morning, before easing during the evening,’ it states.

Many areas will avoid storms but torrential downpours in some places could see 20mm to 30mm of rain in less than an hour and up to 40mm in two hours. ‘this will have the potential to generate surface water flooding, especially if it falls over an urban area,’ the warning says.