In an impressive if not entirely unsurprising move from The Worst Summer Ever, a yellow weather warning has been issued by the Met Office for heavy rainfall and thunderstorms across the South of England. Yes, again.
Unlike other recent instances, this rainfall is set to be very dramatic with the Met Office stating that ‘more than half a month’s rain to fall’ over the next day or so. Between 30mm and 40mm of rain is expected to fall in some areas in just six hours ― usually in August, there’s around 63mm of rain across the south-east of England over the entire month. So that’s great.
The Met Office also warned that there is a chance of flooding of homes and businesses which could lead to the buildings being damaged. Additionally, some buildings may be damaged by lightning strikes, as well as a short-term loss of power that could lead to train services being delayed.
How to stay safe in a thunderstorm
This weather is set to hit the south and south-east of England so if you’re at risk of being affected by this thunderstorm, the Met Office advises that you do these things to stay safe:
Prepare a flood plan and an emergency flood kit - a flood kit should contain:
- Insurance documents and list of contact numbers
- Torch & spare batteries
- First aid kit and any prescription medicines
- Warm waterproof clothes and blankets
- Bottled water and snacks
- Battery or wind-up radio
- Supplies for looking after your baby or pet
If you must drive, drive more slowly than usual, use main roads, use dipped headlights, give yourself more time to react on slippery surfaces and keep a bigger gap between vehicles.
Prepare for the risk of a powercut by keeping candles, matches or lighters to hand, torches and batteries and a mobile phone power pack.
Plan to secure loose items outside of your home in high winds such as bins, plant pots, garden furniture, trampolines and ensure that your shed door is locked.
Don’t go outside to repair damage during the storm itself.
Stay safe!