Weekend weather as Met Office issues storm warning for Lancashire

The Met Office has warned of scattered thunderstorms across Lancashire and the North West this weekend.

The forecaster has issued a yellow warning for thunderstorms from Saturday afternoon into the evening and night.

The Met Office says the warning will remain in place from 3pm on Saturday to 4am on Sunday (June 22).

The weather alert comes as forecasts predict temperatures could soar to 34C in parts of England on Saturday, with much of the UK expected to experience "heatwave conditions".

Lancashire is set to see highs of 27C on Saturday, while Sunday is predicted to be slightly cooler with highs of 21C and heavy rain.

But the yellow alert warns that “scattered thunderstorms” are likely to break out amid the heat and sunshine, and could lead to flooding, difficult driving conditions, power cuts and delays to public transport.

The forecaster has issued a yellow warning for thunderstorms from Saturday afternoon into the evening and night. | Dave Nelson

placeholder image — The forecaster has issued a yellow warning for thunderstorms from Saturday afternoon into the evening and night. | Dave Nelson

Despite thundery downpours, an amber heat health warning issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) remains in force across the country until 9am on Monday (June 23).

In a statement today (Friday, June 20), the Met Office said: “Whilst many places will likely remain dry and unaffected, scattered thunderstorms may develop during Saturday afternoon, lasting through the evening hours, moving northeastwards before eventually clearing to the North Sea by the early hours of Sunday.

“The most intense thunderstorms could produce frequent lightning, large hail and gusty winds, along with some heavy downpours for a time. This may lead to some surface water impacts in places.”

The weather alert comes as forecasts predict temperatures could soar to 34C in parts of England on Saturday, with much of the UK expected to experience "heatwave conditions". | Contributed

Forecasters have warned Brits to expect the following disruption ahead of the weekend’s yellow thunderstorm warning:

Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
There is a small chance that some communities become cut off by flooded roads
There is a slight chance that power cuts could occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost
There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds
Where lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services