Thunderstorms in Portsmouth and Hampshire: Met Office issues a yellow weather warning as storm set to hit the south east

Residents across the Portsmouth area are being warned that heavy rainfall poses a risk of flooding and dangerous travelling conditions.

Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures, according to the warning.

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.

The warning is in place from 9.42am to 11pm this evening, according to a statement on the Met Office website.

The statement added: ‘Heavy showers already affecting the south and east of the Isle of Wight will become more widespread across the warning area through the afternoon, with some thunderstorms also developing.

‘These may be quite slow-moving and last for an hour or two.

‘Some torrential downpours are possible with a few places seeing 50 mm of rain or more within a few hours. Lightning and hail are also additional hazards.’

The Met Office has issued several weather warnings for Portsmouth and Hampshire over the last fortnight.

Torrential downpours repeatedly flooded roads across the city last week, leaving some residents facing foul water overflowing from sewage drains.

The heavy rains were followed by Storm Evert, which lashed the south of the country with winds reaching up to 60 miles per hour.

The wet and windy weather broke a two-week heatwave that saw the Met Office issue its first ever ‘extreme heat warning’, as Portsmouth baked in a 29C heat that made the city hotter than Mumbai and Mexico City.

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