A yellow thunderstorm warning has been issued by the Met Office for Southampton, which will hit just as the heatwave is on the decline.

The warning is in place on Monday, August 15 from 6am until midnight the same day with much of the UK affected by the warning. 

Southampton is completely covered by the warning, as is the whole of the South Coast, meaning there are no areas of respite.

The storms come after weeks of high temperatures and continued heatwave, seeing areas of the UK under drought warnings and extreme temperatures. 

Now Southampton will be met with heavy rain and possible disruption caused by the thunderstorms. 

A Met Office spokesperson has said: "Whilst some places will avoid them, thunderstorms are likely to develop increasingly widely as we go through Monday.

"Storms will probably already be underway for Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland by early Monday, before also developing across parts of England and Wales by late morning and into the afternoon.

"Storms should begin to ease from the west later. Very locally 20-30 mm of rain is possible in an hour, and up to around 50 mm in three to six hours. Hail and frequent lightning are also possible."

What to expect from a Yellow Thunderstorm Warning in Southampton: 

According to the Met Office, you should expect: 

  • 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 flooding or lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services
  • Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
  • There is a slight chance that power cuts could occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost