Portsmouth weather: Fresh thunderstorm warnings issued for Hampshire by Met Office

Forecasters have issued the yellow weather alert for Thursday and overnight into Friday as the scorching temperatures are set to continue.

Thunderstorms rolled into Portsmouth last night with many residents capturing spectacular pictures of the lightening in the sky yesterday.

Temperatures are predicted to reach above 30 degrees in our area tomorrow, according to the latest forecast.

The weather warning issued by the Met Office does not cover Portsmouth at this time but parts of Hampshire and much of Sussex are under the alert – however the forecaster could extend the warning to our area over the coming 24 hours.

Here is what the weather warning says:

When are thunderstorms predicted for?

The Met Office’s yellow weather warning is in place from 3pm on Thursday until 4am on Friday,

Residents are being advised that: ‘Following a hot day (in places exceptionally so), scattered thunderstorms are likely to break out from late afternoon onwards.

‘While some areas, particularly in the south of the warning area may well avoid the storms, where they do occur they could produce 20-30 mm of rain in less than an hour, along with frequent lightning, hail and gusty winds.

‘Perhaps the main focus will be later in the evening and into the first part of the night across northern England and southern and eastern parts of Scotland, where storms could be more widespread and locally intense.’

What to expect?

The Met Office says that in places there could be:

- Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures

- Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services

- There is a 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, or damaged by lightning strikes, hail or sudden gusts of wind

Heatwave

A level three heatwave warning was issued for Portsmouth and Hampshire by the Met Office earlier this week.

Ruth May, chief nursing officer for England, said: ‘Like lots of people I'm looking forward to having fun in the sun with family and friends this weekend, but nobody wants to spend a pleasant day stuck in a hospital or urgent treatment centre.

‘It's really important to take simple precautions like drinking plenty of water, using high-factor sunscreen and remembering to take allergy medication if you need it – as is making sure to check in on neighbours and loved ones who can suffer the most from heat and pollen.’